


Flight of a Nightingale

by olebade



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Consent questionable based on beliefs of characters, I promise there's a happy ending, M/M, Prostitution, Slavery, Suicidal Thoughts, beatings, pretty dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-12 22:45:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 179,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16004855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olebade/pseuds/olebade
Summary: Sehun doesn't understand the magic his mother left him with, but he knows he must keep it a secret. When that secret comes to the surface, he must leave the only home he has ever known to save his life. He only manages to escape with the help of a young woman he has known since childhood. When she offers her life in exchange for his, Sehun promises to repay her sacrifice. Yet her simple request is for him to find her lost younger brother and deliver a message to him.But, finding someone long lost to the world is not an easy feat and survivor's guilt haunts Sehun for the life lost on his behalf. As he enlists the help of powerful allies around him, his adventure becomes more difficult than a simple search for a lost sibling. A prince from the kingdom of Eriand has been missing since the years of war and the kingdom in the sky is looking for their next heir to the throne.A boy that fell from the sky seems to believe Sehun can help them both and still keep his own promise. It doesn't matter that Sehun locks himself into a slave contract. Crimes must have consequences, and Sehun is willing to pay for his.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for NaNoWriMo 2017 and spent the seven months after editing it. It's still a mess, but it's my mess and I'm proud of it. I hope you enjoy.
> 
>  
> 
> This is cross posted with my aff under the same name (olebade)

“You may go.”

 

Sehun had been waiting to hear those words since the moment he arrived, but he didn’t immediately get up from the bed. He wasn't even sure he had the strength to close his legs, yet. He felt tired and in pain and it was bright outside, leading to more hesitation. People would be out now that the sun had risen, and he didn’t want to feel their gazes on him again. It was pointless to worry, though. People were always going to stare at him. It wasn't only because of the rumors, it was because of his appearance. The children in particular liked his unusual silver hair. Those were the closest thing to innocent stares that he got.

 

He averted his eyes from the ceiling and sat up at a slow, pained pace. His hands went down to cover himself out of instinct until he could reach for his clothing. That man was still there, staring at him as he did so, and Sehun tried to pretend he wasn’t there while he got dressed.

 

When he was about to leave, the man spoke again and Sehun froze in an instant.

 

“Come back here in two days,” he ordered. “Same time. I’ll have some friends here. Don’t disappoint.” Then a hand grabbed his face and Sehun could only resign himself to staring back at the man. He always hoped the man would burst into flames so he would never have to see him again. Those grey eyes narrowed to near slits and a frown settled deep into his features while he glared at him. If the circumstances had been different, Sehun might have deemed the man somewhat handsome. But all Sehun had ever known of this man was the torment he went through because of him. He knew only the pain and the abuse, and he was unable to think of him as anything other than old and hideous as a result. Sehun had nightmares of this man on most nights and he wanted to be free of it all. “Do you understand?” the man finally demanded.

 

“Yes, sir,” Sehun responded, voice submissive and quiet. It was his duty to make this man happy. If promising him such deeds made him happy, then Sehun could live another day. After his confirmation of understanding, his face was free of that painful hand. The man stuffed three copper coins in his open palm before Sehun made his quick escape a few short moments later.

 

The house maids no longer paid any attention to him as he walked through the house towards the front door. He might as well have been a moving piece of furniture for all they cared. They kept their heads up while he kept his down and avoided every one of them. Not a single person smiled at him in this house and no one offered him a kind word. At the very least, Sehun was glad for their indifference towards him. It was at least quiet and for a moment he could pretend he was normal.

 

Leaving the front door was like walking into another world.

 

There were people moving about the streets as he had guessed there would be. A few heads turned in his direction as soon as he closed the door behind him. Many looked the first time only because this was the house of one of the town’s only appointed nobles. After the years of war between Eriand and Nimrine, Sir Choi had returned alive with rewards from the king. He risked his life to save the royal line on the battle field and he had the scars on his arms and back to prove it. He became somewhat of a village hero after that and many sought his approval. Sehun even remembered being a very young child and looking up to him as well. Such thoughts had long since banished themselves from his head.

 

People now looked to this house for the money it could offer. Too bad all they saw half these days was Sehun leaving with a limp in his step. The expressions on many of their faces melted into judgement as he passed. Some of those who chose to say anything bestowed upon him the name of whore and prostitute and spit in his path. The kinder amongst them called him a comfort to the nobleman; something akin to a courtesan. Sehun did not feel as lucky as that even while looking down at the three copper coins in his hand. He felt dirty and struck with horrible shame. He didn’t want the money any more than he wanted to return to that house in two days. But you do things you must to survive, and Sehun had messed up enough that this was an important part of his survival.

 

Law in Nimrine was not kind to Sehun. After the war, the king had grown distrusting of magic. He believed magic to be evil and he wanted nothing to do with any of it. The people of Eriand thought something different. They welcomed all magic and thought it a beautiful gift worthy of praise and recognition. This distinction in thought caused a great difference in power that led to Nimrine’s defeat. Peace came to the people of both kingdoms, but the losses incurred were steep. The damage was great and the king passed a new law, ordering all those with magic to leave his kingdom. A grace period went into effect for both humans and creatures of magical origins, and a great exodus began. Within a few weeks, the lands were empty of once flourishing magic.

 

That was before Sehun was even born. He was still developing in his mother’s womb when she and his father began their journey to the border. They prayed Eriand would be a better place to raise their child.

 

As they neared the border, it became obvious that Sehun's mother would not make the trip before her baby came. They stopped in the little village named Falita that Sehun would later call home and, much later, a prison.

 

On the night of his birth, a windstorm picked up even though the weather had been beautiful all day. The power of the winds went far beyond the usual gales the region saw even during their windiest seasons. Adults rushed to get their children inside and businesses shut for the day as the storm raged.

 

In the healer's hut, Sehun’s mother screamed in agony as she tried to bring her baby into the world. The old woman instructed her on her breathing and directed her pushes, but she couldn't push her baby out. She watched Sehun's mother begin to fade before her eyes, but she kept going.

 

Hours into the night, a baby's cry was finally heard and his father was finally able to grant him a name.

 

Haerin died that night, but not without getting to hold her baby boy in her arms first and tell him how much she loved him. She gave the same words to her husband and handed back their son. As her life faded, so did the storm around them. The old healer promised to keep that observation a secret.

 

Sehun’s father wouldn’t leave the village after that; not with a baby so small. He had to find a wet nurse and then a job to pay for her services. One thing after another happened until his father was stuck in the village as much as Sehun was.

 

It wasn’t until Sehun was a few years older that what his father feared would happen was in fact coming to pass. He had never told Sehun of his mother’s magical affinity for the wind and air, but now he was learning he needed to. When he was four, Sehun had begun to speak to the empty space in front of him. When he was four, negligible, though still strange, things began to happen around the boy. First, Sehun would manage to get a hold of things beyond his reach. Then he would be some high distance up a tree or on the roof. But more distressing was how the wind picked up anytime he so much as caught a sniffle.

 

In short, Sehun had received the gift from his mother, and that was dangerous around here. Sehun’s father started to keep a closer eye on his son as he grew older. Every time he caught the boy expressing his powers in ways too obvious, there was hell to pay. No more plucking apples from trees without climbing them himself. No more pushing things from their resting places unless he wanted to get a stool or ladder. It had to remain a secret from the world as long as they lived there. The storms were inescapable, and they would continue to be as such since Sehun had no one to teach him control.

 

His sole outlet for his gifts came to him the same day his father gave him his first bow and arrow. His father took him deep into the forest to hunt and showed him how to use it. He even encouraged Sehun to use the wind to help his aim if he wished. He only gave Sehun one rule to follow. He couldn’t manipulate the wind and arrow in such a way that ordinary people couldn’t repeat the same tricks. Meaning, if Sehun were facing away from his target and shot, he should not use the wind to turn the arrow to hit his target. Sehun didn't tell him that he could do that. That would let his father know he had been practicing such tricks. Sehun went hunting all the time as a result of having this lone allowance. It released the tension from his shoulders to be able to use his abilities.

 

Emotions were difficult, though. Getting the sniffles brought up the wind and a raging fever would bring up vicious tempests. Sickness often forced his father to carry him to a stone cave in the mountains to get away from the village. But Sehun’s waves of frustration and anger and sadness would bring the storms as well. The air would shiver with Sehun’s raw anger. Tear that fell from his eyes flew in the moaning winds, plucked away as if they had never happened. These winds tore roofs from houses and trees up by the roots, but Sehun was always in the eye of the storm. He never felt anything more than breeze. The wind protected him from everything.

 

It was in this manner that Sehun’s powers came to unwanted attentions. It was after a meltdown, one that every teenager experiences at some point or another. Sehun’s frustration and anger brought on his power and it unleashed itself.  The small though threatening tornadoes that resulted around him were telling enough. His father had to grip him by the shoulders and hush him even while Sehun shouted and cursed and struggled away. Neither he nor his father realized that the noble Sir Choi was only a hundred feet away. He had been passing by the entrance to their lands on his way to the forest with his horse. The mare had spooked with the rush of magical wind and came close to bucking her rider right off her back. It wasn’t even until a few days later that Sir Choi made it clear Sehun was in trouble.

 

“I could report you to the proper authorities and have you taken away,” the man had said.  He kept Sehun frozen in his stare, standing against the wall he had cornered him to. “Or you can do as I say and I’ll keep your powers a secret.” But as soon as Sir Choi told him exactly what he would be doing, Sehun declined. Sir Choi only shrugged and turned on his heels, tossing a few words over his shoulder. "Your father is a traitor for hiding you as long as he has."

 

It was a clear warning, and one that suspended Sehun's thoughts and dampened his bravado. Sir Choi was not afraid to drag Sehun’s only family into this as well if Sehun didn’t obey. He was counting on Sehun's familial obligations to guide his choices, and it worked. Sehun would rather sacrifice his pride if it meant the only family he had left would live. They struck a deal, and the cocky noble pretended to sweetened it with the offer to pay him for his services. Sehun didn't know when he accepted this offer that it would only serve to make him feel filthy and cheap.

 

Sehun still didn’t like it, but as long as his father was safe and he still had his life, he could stomp down his pride. To prove he was earnest in his willingness, Sir Choi ordered Sehun onto his knees. Confident he had won, he began to lower his pants for the first time in Sehun’s presence. Unhurried and reluctant, Sehun fell to his knees in front of the man and got to work. Even back then, with the promise of life still fresh in his mind, Sehun wanted it all to end.

 

Today, Sehun reached home before his father had even finished his morning prayers. Out of habit, he joined his father and knelt before their meager makeshift altar. He whispered the prayers to himself, trying to keep them sincere and hopeful. These days he often found it difficult to believe there was anyone listening. He wondered if the gods had forsaken him on more than one occasion. Sometimes he questioned their existence. If they were there at all, why were they not helping him? His father insisted that if there was no one listening to their prayers, his mother would be at the very least. From the way his father often spoke of her, Sehun almost pictured her as a goddess anyway. He continued to pray every morning so that he could try to imagine what he would say to the mother he never got to know.

 

At the end of their daily ritual, his father stood from his seated position and went to make breakfast. Sehun stayed to dust the altar and the floor around it as a sign of respect to the gods. When he finished, he went to feed his pet rabbit, whom he had found one day while hunting. Usually, it was not hard for Sehun to shoot small animals. He and his father had to eat, and he had gotten over this particular guilt while young. But for some reason, he chose not to shoot this one. The rabbit had followed him through the woods while he hunted for the next several hours. When it followed him all the way back to his home, Sehun called it his and began taking care of it.

 

Ever since he was young, Sehun had wanted a pet. They had never had money for a dog like the other kids had. They especially didn’t have the house for a cat like the wealthy women had. His father had vetoed mice when Sehun was a mere five years old. Keeping bugs found in the forest also became a problem when he would forget to screw the lids back on their jars. It was like Sehun could never manage to win.

 

The rabbit was docile, and he didn’t act like he required much food. He didn't even appear to desire anything extensive. He hopped around their tiny house and demanded scratches and rubs sometimes, but that was all. He did seem to have a fine nose for carrots, though. He always knew when there was extra carrot or two lying around. What Sehun saw as an added benefit was a ready listener. He would turn to the white rabbit when his father wasn't home to empty his mind of his concerns. He would speak about his hate for Sir Choi and crack unfunny jokes about his penis size to amuse himself. It was all things he kept to himself, and the strange thing was that he felt like the rabbit was actually listening. That was good enough for Sehun on the hard days.

 

The rabbit hopped after Sehun while he made him a bowl of vegetables. The long ears twitched with interest and so did the whiskers. Sehun smiled down at the little guy and placed his food in front of him. The white rabbit climbed over the lip of the bowl with plenty of verve, eager to devour the tasty morsels. Sehun swore he had never seen something so precious in his entire life before. 

 

Sehun went to join his father in preparing their own simple meal. There was not usually any pomp necessary for their meals. If they had felt like today were special, they might have cooked something over the fire. But it was no one's birthday and no other special occasion had come up. A meal of bread, cheese, and some water was plenty for this morning.

 

“Did you enjoy your night?” his father asked when he had finished his food. Sehun nodded, the movement automatic and stiff. He had never told his father about Sir Choi's discovery of his secret. He didn’t want him to worry and he didn't want to tell his father of the things he submits to. These days, his father assumed Sehun had gotten himself a girl. It seemed logical when Sehun refused to talk about what exactly he did many nights.

 

“I had fun,” he lied. “I’m sorry I stay out so late. Time gets away from me.”

 

His father gave him a mere tight-lipped smile and waved off the apology. “I need to let go of you someday," he sighed. "You’re seventeen after all.” He reached over to ruffle Sehun’s silver hair, the affection going much deeper in his eyes than Sehun knew. “If this unique color is good for one thing, it’s for making you stand out. I bet the girls like it.”

 

Sehun managed a rather genuine smile at that comment. “You always said it was like starlight.”

 

“And indeed it is," his father laughed. "Like your mother’s.” There was that look again; the sad one Sehun had grown used to seeing after all these years. Those shining eyes were full of stubborn emotion that refused to come out. The slight trembling of his lips was something he forced himself to still. The slump of shoulders that accompanied thoughts of his mother were the final nail in the coffin. His father knew that Sehun would always catch him then. Every time, he would wait to express what he was thinking until Sehun had caught on. “I hope you are being careful when I'm not around," he grunted, clearing his throat. "I want you to be safe, that’s all I ask.”

 

Sehun nodded, setting his food down for a moment. “I know, Dad,” he whispered. “And I’m trying to be safe.” That reassurance seemed to placate his father for now. They didn't speak more on the subject and Sehun was able to finish his food.

 

These days, Sehun kept himself safe by keeping his feelings to himself as much as possible. If he buried them, then he wouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of discovery. Being used by one person was enough torment, he didn't want another person to have the luxury. If it ever happened again, he would rather die.

 

A knock came to their front door that pulled them from their stretching silence. They both jumped and for a moment didn’t move. They hadn’t been expecting company. But the little white rabbit hopped his way to the door and Sehun let out an amused laugh before following. When he opened the door, his slight frown turned into a bright, toothy smile.

 

“Tae!” he exclaimed. Then he was throwing himself into the arms of the woman who stood before him. She was a slight woman, bundled up from head to toe in warm attire. The weather had gotten very chilled in the last few weeks, but this was always the time of year she showed up. Sehun had grown used to the many layers upon layers of clothing she always wore. He often joked that he doesn’t recall ever having been able to touch her since he was a little boy. She wasn’t very touchy to begin with, but the miles of fabric that circled her didn't help.

 

“Hello, Sehun,” she greeted, returning the tight hug. When she disentangled herself from Sehun, she tugged her face coverings down. She smiled up at him, wind reddened cheeks and all, with the fondness that had come after all these years. “My, are you still growing?” she asked. Sehun laughed, feeling slight embarrassed. Taeyeon had been about nineteen when Sehun was born, making her quite a bit older than himself. She had a right to tease him about puberty.

 

“It has slowed, but yes, I’m still growing,” he answered. That’s when his father walked up.

 

“It’s good to see you Taeyeon,” he greeted, moving in to wrap his arms around her in a firm hug. “I knew you would be coming soon, but the exact day is always a mystery. I wish you had sent a message. I would have had food ready for you.”

 

She waved her hand in front of her face with a scrunched nose. “No need. I travel with all the food I need,” she said. “But tell me, Junseok, what are you feeding this boy?” She indicated Sehun with a hand in his general direction. “He gets skinnier and skinnier every time I see him and yet he manages to get taller and taller.”

 

"We eat what we can catch and buy anything else if the pelts are good," his father said. "He's growing too fast to keep up with what he's eating."

 

"You can say that again," Taeyeon said, glancing at Sehun with a smile and a distinct fondness in her eyes. "He'll need new clothes soon, too."

 

"Those are new," Junseok told her. "I thought he had finished growing."

 

"Tae," Sehun interrupted. "Are you still journeying back and forth between Eriand and Tysten? I thought you were going to go see your son."

 

Taeyeon gave him a sad smile and put her things down. "Ah, well you see, I went back to see him, but his grandmother told me he went to the sea. It's for the best. The kid was old enough to go out on his own. He never much liked my visits. Always wanted me to stay with them or take him with me."

 

"And why didn't you?" Sehun asked. He knew what wanting a mother felt like. But this child of Taeyeon's seemed to understand it as well in a far different manner.

 

"Because my travels are dangerous," she reminded him. "I've told you before. People like you and me aren't welcomed here. We have to hide ourselves. I didn't want to drag him into any of it. But it seems he was more like me than I ever realized. Had some of the magic in him. It's stronger than mine, though." Digging through her things, she pulled out a large bottle of a sunny yellow liquid. "Sun spirits. I know you're almost of age. Drink it when your next birthday comes around. You'll like it."

 

Sehun caught the tossed drink after some fumbling and smiled. "Thank you!" he chirped. Then he ran back to his room to put the bottle away for safe keeping. While he was gone, Taeyeon looked down at the little rabbit that had been first to greet her and smiled.

 

"Well, hello there," she said. "I believe Sehun mentioned you in the last letter I got." The rabbit gave her a simple twitch of its whiskers and hopped off.

 

"Sehun's pet," Junseok confirmed. "He calls it Lay. Loves that little guy. Calms him down when he needs it sometimes."

 

"Does Sehun have bad days often?" Taeyeon asked. There was concern in her voice. It was inevitable for anyone to have a few hard days. There was even potential for children in Sehun's age range to have more. But having hard days all the time was not good for Sehun's mental health.

 

Junseok nodded. "More than I would like to admit. It's not good for his control," he answered, voice solemn.

 

"He's a teenager. Emotions are part of the deal."

 

 "Yes, but you know for him it's dangerous," was the gentle reminder.

 

"He's trying,” she shot back. “That’s all you can ask of him. His mother isn’t here to teach him and you keep trying to find ways to undermine his natural ability to learn.”

 

“I have to or he’d be long dead,” his father gritted out. But then he cleared his throat, trying to rid himself of the oncoming anger and frustration. That was most likely where Sehun got his fiery temper from and Junseok was not proud of it. “Why can’t you teach him again?”

 

“Because our magic is different,” she responded, quick but not so quick to cut him off. “He needs someone with the same gift or a better understanding of magic than I have. I couldn't even completely teach my own son. There are a few people around that know more, but none in this country at the current time. They’ve all gone away, you see. Someone told them they were not wanted here.” She said it as if speaking to someone not already aware of the current horrid state of the land and its laws. Sehun’s father’s eye twitched, the anger threatening to return. Taeyeon patted his shoulder with a chuckle. “Why are you so stiff all the time?”

 

By this point, Sehun was on his way back with a tiny trinket in his hands. He handed it to Taeyeon with a bright smile. “I thought of you when I saw something like this in the market,” he said, handing her a little hand carved pendant. It was rough where a knife hadn’t made skilled, clean chips in the wood, but it still looked like the sun and its rays. “It's pretty obvious I couldn’t afford the one in the market,” Sehun added, hand scratching the hair at the back of his neck.

 

“That’s quite all right,” Taeyeon said with a smile, fingers running over the wood. “This is lovely all the same. Your work has much improved since the bird you gave me a few years ago.”

 

Sehun’s face flushed a bright cherry red. He had hoped to forget that bauble forever. Sehun hadn't possessed any skill when he made it. He had cut himself many times while whittling away at the wood, but he had given it to Taeyeon anyway. For the time being, Taeyeon stopped teasing Sehun and pocketed the sun trinket. It would be going with her other knickknacks on her shelf when she returned to her home again.

 

"Come, Sehun," she called, a wave of her hand indicating a sudden wish for him to follow her. She turned to his father and smiled. "I'll bring him back a little later. We're going to the forest."

 

Sehun followed with a quick grab at his warm cloak. There was still a slight limp in his step, but it had gotten better since the morning. He found it easier to ignore when Taeyeon had showed up, but he could also be in a better mood. His father missed the odd gait, but Taeyeon noticed immediately. She wouldn't mention it while here. She knew teenagers loved to keep their secrets, and Taeyeon had been so young once.

 

They left after retrieving Sehun's bow and quiver of arrows from the shed outside. Might as well do some hunting while they were out. But it turned into more of a lesson and test because Taeyeon was there.

 

"Which plants can you eat? Have you been paying attention during school?" she asked. But Sehun was quick to prove that he could indeed place the particular edible plants. The triangular leaved ones were good for giving flavor to stews. The barbed leaves were never to go near food on their own, though, they were good in specific quantities when creating some antidotes and medicines. The black berries were all right to eat if you pinched them and red juice came out, But the yellow berries were deadly no matter what juice they produce. Blue and red in that forest were generally safe, but Taeyeon advised caution if he went beyond those woods.

 

"Where do the sun grapes grow?" he asked Taeyeon. "You're always talking about how the sun spirits are among the best wines in the world. I'm a little jealous that I've never even seen a sun grape before, much less tasted one."

 

"That's because they grow far from here," she answered, plucking a blue berry from the bush next to her and popping it in her mouth. "When you're a little older, I'll take you to my homelands, if you wish. You'd like it there. All the sun and the open fields are calming, and you wouldn't have to hide your powers there. You could learn to control them."

 

"Why can't I learn that now?" Sehun questioned. "I've tried to find ways to use them without putting myself in danger, but there's nothing aside from hunting."

 

"You could throw off that attacker of yours," she suggested out of the blue, picking another berry. "Or is that limp from a well-meaning boy you fancy?"

 

Sehun froze and didn't look at her right away. How was he supposed to answer? He didn't even let his father in on that secret. It was humiliating and actually quite private. Puberty was one thing, but she had no right asking him about his sex life or whatever it was. His hesitation to answer spoke volumes to Taeyeon's perceptive mind.

 

"Attacker then," Taeyeon sighed, running a frustrated hand though her long, sunny blonde locks. It looked like she was trying to think about what to say.

 

Sehun ducked his head at her conclusion. He didn't know if that's what he would call Sir Choi. After all, he didn't tie Sehun down and force himself on him. But he never asked Sehun's permission either. In truth, Sehun wasn't given a choice in the matter even though the noble had phrased his proposal as a choice. Sehun hated that that choice was no longer his to make. "Not exactly," he muttered in response to Taeyeon's conclusion.

 

"But not someone you fancy either," she finished for him, staring at the side of Sehun's head. It was the only view he would give her at the moment. He couldn't meet her eyes. "Then what is he?"

 

Again, Sehun hesitated. When he opened his mouth, he still didn't look at her but told the truth. "He was there to witness one of my emotional episodes," he began, not sure of what to say or how to say it. He was second guessing the clarity in every word he spoke and his hands clenched and released at his side, still feeling abashed. "He told me there were two options. He could turn me in, or I could submit to him. At first, I said I would run away, but he brought my father into it and forced me to accept his terms."

 

"And you've been letting him have his way with you ever since?"

 

Sehun felt the heat boil in him when he finally managed to stare back at her. The air around him stirred with his anger, rustling the once peaceful trees. "What else would you have me do?" he demanded.

 

"Talk to your father, stupid boy!" she hissed. "I understand this is dangerous and you're embarrassed by this, but that's no excuse. You shouldn't have to sell yourself for your life. There are ways to escape death. You are a smart kid. Start searching for them."

 

"What do you think I'm doing?" he growled. "I'm cheating death every day that I let him have me. He's a noble. What am I going to do if he brings in the king's men? They would torture me and kill me and kill my father for hiding me all these years. I can't let them do that to him."

 

"Then the both of you need to leave," Taeyeon insisted. This topic always came up every time she visited. If it wasn't to Sehun, it was to his father, and there was always an excuse for why they couldn't leave. "The border is close enough to make an escape."

 

"My father tried that once with my mother, remember?" he reminded her, tone bitter. "She had me and died. He never left here because I was a baby and he never once thought of leaving when I got older. Said our life was here."

 

"But it's not," Taeyeon growled. Her hand shot out in exasperation, aiming Sehun's attentions towards the quick flowing river in the distance. "It's on the other side of that wall. Right down the river. You'd have a better chance of living a full life over there."

 

"It's also autumn," he grumbled. "Winter is coming and the animals are going to sleep. How are we going to survive if we can't hunt large game?"

 

"Why do you think they teach you about all the berries and leaves in these woods?" she demanded. "One does not live on meat alone." Then she paused and placed her finger to her chin as if thinking about something. "You do have that rabbit, though. I'm sure he would make a nice small meal."

 

"I'm not eating my pet!" Sehun shouted, stamping his foot in indignation. "I've been feeding him and he's been keeping me nice and happy thank you very much!"

 

"You do what you must when your life is at stake," Taeyeon urged.

 

"Exactly," Sehun grunted, pointing out the hypocrisy in that statement. Sehun had already been trying to save his own life and the life of his father by doing what he must. He didn't need or want reminders of those forced decisions. But there was a strange twitch of her lips that seemed to tell the tale of a secret Sehun didn't know. He wasn't going to ask either.

 

Noticing that she wasn't getting anywhere, Taeyeon sighed. "Alright then," she hummed. "Have it your way. But promise you will at least consider an escape. That man is an immoral demon, not a human being, and you deserve so much better than to be his toy."

 

Sehun knew that. He knew he could have a much better life than this. He didn't want to shut his emotions away all the time. He wanted to be free and happy and find someone to fall in love with the way his father wanted him to. He felt sick every day he had to see Sir Choi, and the thought of running away was tempting, but he wasn't confident in his skills enough to make that trip by himself. It would feel like a betrayal to his father who had cared for him all these years if he left on his own, too. No, if he was leaving this place, it was with his father (and his rabbit).

 

"I promise I'll think about it," he finally responded. Taeyeon nodded in response. She would have preferred a promise to leave, but this would have to be enough for now.

 

"I'll be here for a day or two more. If you change your mind in that time, I'll help you leave here," she offered. Then she smiled and added, "I'll even allow you to take your father and your pet with us."

 

Sehun's lips twitched upward in the ghost of a smile. He appreciated the offer, but he wasn't so sure he would need it. Instead of saying as such, he continued to show her what he had learned as a way of leaving the subject behind them. A thought in the back of his mind asked if this would come up again while she was here this time or if this was it.

 

They ate and talked and Taeyeon teased him over and over again about everything he said. It was like she was his older sister. But in all honesty, she was closer to his father's age than she was to his. He still called her his older sister anyway. It was his personal little secret that he never told even her.

 

At the end of the day, they went back to Sehun's and his father's diminutive home. Sehun helped his father cook them a full meal of all the meat they had caught while they were out in the forest. Sitting down, Sehun settled into a prayer over their food in that same automatic way he did every morning. His father and Taeyeon did the same. Sehun had never asked if Taeyeon believed in the gods and goddesses of the land. He imagined she had different ones back where she was from but wasn't sure if she believed in those either. His father found the end of his prayer first and picked up his utensils to eat. The other two followed suit only moments after.

 

Dinner was alive with conversation. Sehun and Junseok asked Taeyeon all about her travels and what she had been up to the past year. She always managed to avoid specific answers with an adept tongue. She dodged conversation on precise places she had visited and replaced her actions with jokes and stories of people instead. She loved talking about the people she met, no matter how brief their meeting had been, and her stories were always of the more interesting characters. She often kept Sehun in stitches so bad that he found food falling out his mouth while he ate. 

 

After their meal, Sehun went to clean up his room so Taeyeon could use the bed. Sehun didn't mind sleeping on the floor on days like this. He was glad for the company and wanted to make her feel comfortable. Not that it always mattered. Taeyeon sometimes took a long time to fall asleep and Sehun would often stay up to talk to her for a little bit longer.

 

"You know, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to travel," Sehun hums. "Like you do. Go wherever I want, whenever I want."

 

"It's lonely, "Taeyeon yawned. "I sometimes wonder what it would be like to stay in one place." She rolled onto her side so she could look down at his blanket clad silhouette in the dark. "I don't get to see my family. And I certainly don't get to go wherever I want whenever I want. I have things to do. But I imagine your travels would be much different than mine. Yours would take you to places you have only dreamed of and you might meet people you wish you hadn't or meet people you never want to part with. Your travels could be such an adventure."

 

"Would I be able to go to the Sky Kingdom?" he asked. As the question passed his lips, he felt the little white rabbit jump onto his stomach and demand pets. Sehun let out a huff of breath and started to rub the rabbit's soft pointed ears.

 

"Is that where you want to go?"

 

"I don't know," Sehun answered. "But it came to my head first. Maybe I could find something to do there. They love magic there."

 

"They're also struggling. Their King is old and everyone is becoming afraid they might have no heir." She rolled over onto her other side and tried to get comfortable again. "Nothing is as simple as having a child over there. There's a few requirements, but no one has been able to meet those requirements yet. Even the kings children can't be king or queen."

 

She fell silent after that, leaving Sehun to think about that for a little bit. A few minutes later, Sehun could hear her breathing even out and soft, quiet snores leaving her nose. Sehun snuggled up in his ragged blanket and allowed himself time to fall asleep as well. The thought of dreaming of adventure was quite appealing and he couldn't wait to fly away to those distant dream lands. His mother might be waiting to greet him in one of them.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning broke with the sun on a calm day and the relief Sehun felt at waking in the comfort of his own home was palpable. These days were becoming less frequent the longer his current situation continued. He pushed himself into a sitting position and groaned when his back protested. He was stiff all over from having slept on the floor, but he didn’t mind; he had endured far worse aches before.

 

As he stretched and worked the knots from his muscles, he woke more and more. Taeyeon had already snuck out of the bedroom earlier that morning without waking him. He sighed and got dressed. It wasn’t until he was moving about his room that he saw her through his window. She was sitting out front on a stump that they hadn't bothered to dig up. It had been years since they had cut down that tree and it was starting to sprout all over the place. Even still, it made a good seat for meditation and admiring the border of the forest. Sehun would greet her. but he first had to join his father in morning prayer.

 

Kneeling before their little alter, Sehun took up the prayers. It was in the middle of his prayers that his thoughts turned to the bird songs outside their dirty window. He loved the little birds that hung out in the rafters of their shed and loved finding their eggs every spring. But this was unusual to hear the bird songs so close to winter. They should be long gone by now and finding a temporary home until winter passed. The change in season was a mere few weeks away, after all.

 

After finishing prayer, Sehun cleaned the altar as usual and went to investigate. He should have known that it was Taeyeon making the bird calls. He came over and sat with her on the stump so he could listen. It became an uphill battle over the years as she tried to teach Sehun this skill. Mimicking the sounds of birds was among her favorite activities and Sehun enjoyed it, too. He had yet to master the art like she had, but that made listening to her even more enjoyable. His favorite song was from the nightingale. It was no doubt the most beautiful singer in this forest. Rumors said that even the song of the phoenix was not enough to go beyond the talents of the nightingale. He imagined there must have been magic in their voices. Taeyeon must have used magic to mimic them as well.

 

"Have you been practicing?" Taeyeon asked him. Sehun gave her an honest reply and shook his head. She nudged him with a shoulder as a small way of scolding him. "Then you'll never get better at it."

 

"I know," he whined, nudging her back in retaliation. "But I like hearing you do it more anyway. I get to hear them in the winter when you're here."

 

"I will not always be here to entertain you," Taeyeon muttered, smiling anyway.

 

Sehun laughed as if the thought of not seeing her were a joke. Somehow, it was hard to believe there would come a year where he would not be able to see Taeyeon again. Not hearing her voice or her birdsong anymore was a foreign thought. He had been able to hear it every year in his memory and it would be like losing a member of his family if she never came back. He would be heartbroken if there were also no explanation.

 

Though he considered her a sister, she also acted very much like a mother. She liked seeing Sehun and had even mentioned that he reminded her of her son when she saw him. The two of them being close in age didn't help that similarity. Taeyeon had had her son when she was eighteen, leaving Sehun only a year younger than him. She didn't speak much of him because she claimed being away from him was hard enough. She couldn't bear thinking of him more often than she already did. Missing him so much likely influenced some of how she spoke to and treated Sehun. It felt loving, and couldn't imagine her leaving him for good and being without that love.

 

"Then teach me again," he ended up saying. "I'll try harder." So, she did. She taught him how to mimic the proper whistles and warbles and chirps with both his mouth and hands. She taught him common calls of birds in the area and saved the nightingale for last. She only did this because she knew the nightingale was his favorite and it kept his attention. With a human mouth, there were some sounds that weren't natural. It was determination and stubbornness that forced him to press onward. Sehun continued to struggle with it until his father called them in for breakfast.

 

Their meal was cold, but it was filling. Leftovers from the stew the night before were still in the pot. It was still good, though Sehun always maintained that food was always best served warm. They did not always have that luxury. He scarfed down the food like it were the only meal he had eaten in days.

 

He wondered what kinds of things Taeyeon would expect of him this time. She often had Sehun do extra chores when she arrived, and it was the one thing Sehun hated about her visits. Her favorite tasks were cleaning tasks, but those weren't the only tasks she assigned. In the past, she had asked him to run simple errands and help local shop owners as well for some extra money. Though, looking around, he suspected it would be cleaning this year. He took in the disaster that was his home and cringed.

 

As if on cue, Taeyeon commented, "This house is filthy." Sehun rolled his eyes. Taeyeon liked a spotless house more than she liked good food. It was too bad that Sehun and his father didn't always have time to sweep and dust the cobwebs. Getting the extra water from the river was a hassle anyway and Sehun hated doing it when it got cold. "Let's clean it up and then we can go into town."

 

That was a surprise. Taeyeon didn't usually give rewards for the work she designated, but it was a good incentive to work hard. She knew Sehun loved to browse the village markets and he hadn't expected Taeyeon to offer to take him.

 

"Sure," he agreed, trying not to respond too fast so he wouldn't sound like he was as excited as he was. She seemed to know anyway, based on the smirk she flashed him. 

 

"I'll be going to get some supplies for us, then," his father hummed, already rising to his feet. "Better to stock up on medicines before the winter hits."

 

Taeyeon nodded in agreement. "Also, cheaper to buy them when no one yet needs them," she added. "We'll be seeing you later then."

 

Junseok gathered a few things in a satchel with a nod of his head and a smile. He gathered some of the fresh animal skins and picked up some coins from the jar he hid in a cupboard. Then he wrapped his cloak around his shoulders and headed out the door.

 

Before he was even off their lands, Taeyeon turned to Sehun with a little smile. "Be a dear and go to the river. I'll start dusting. The cobwebs are large this year. You and your father have no shame."

 

She was right. Sehun felt no shame at all for this. He was lazy and proud of it in regard to housework. But he knew Taeyeon wouldn't let it slide if he refused; he'd have a wooden spoon taken to the back of his head in no time. Threats of punishment from Taeyeon were enough. Sehun knew it was a threat whether she gave him a verbal warning or not.

 

So, with a sigh, Sehun got his old cloak on and left for the river with the bucket he had gathered from outside. He didn't like making this trek for extra water, but he didn't mind the extra time in the forest. As he walked, he named the plants he saw to the best of his ability and took mental note of the ones he had forgotten. He planned to ask about them later. The bucket was light, and it swung like a pendulum at his side until he set it down at the riverside.

 

The river was swift moving and cold as the water ran from the glacier encrusted mountains. The river source was somewhere higher up in the mountains and it suggested adventure. He and his father went might one day go up there to find it, but they hadn't had a chance to go yet. Sehun often wondered if his father was planning to go when they left this place for good.

 

When filling the bucket, he had to be careful to avoid getting swept away in the aggressive current. It was as much to avoid drowning as it was to avoid freezing, but he still had to go deep enough to get the water he required. He didn't want to make this trip more than he needed to, so only a full to the brim bucket would do.

 

When he finally had a full bucket, he pulled it from the river, hands red and aching from the cold, and made his way back. He walked much slower on the way back, careful to not spill any of the water he had collected. It was too chilly for this and he swore his fingers were freezing into solid blocks of ice. He whined about frostbite and amputation the longer his fingers stayed wet in the cold.

 

Arriving back at the house, Sehun frowned at the mop and broom and all the cloths that now laid on the floor and table. They were safe in their hiding places before he left, but now they were out in the open. A spoon finally came to the back of his head as soon as he set the bucket down.

 

"Ow!" he groaned, covering his head with his arms to protect himself from further attack. He spun around to look at his assailant, finding Taeyeon with her arms crossed over her chest. A frown marred her features and her foot tapped the floor in impatience. "What was that for?" Sehun whined.

 

"Even your cleaning supplies had webs on it!" she snapped. "You two need to stop acting like a pair of children and do the chores every once in a while. There is no woman to do them for you." Sehun felt every bit like a scolded child as she waved the wooden spoon in his face, but he didn't say anything. Taeyeon groaned and grabbed the broom, pushing it into his hands. "Start a sweep. I finished dusting the cobwebs over in the kitchen so start there."

 

Sehun went to sweep the floor in the kitchen without verbal complain. There was more debris from Taeyeon's dust than there was leaves from the shedding trees. He grumbled to himself about the indignity of it all while he swept it all away with vigor. He ended up going back over some of his previous areas later after sweeping the whole house. In his pouting and grumbling, his irritation rustled up the wind a little. It knocked loose more dust that Taeyeon in her tiny stature hadn't been able to reach. This meant Sehun had to sweep yet again and it made him even more frustrated.

 

"Well," Taeyeon laughed when he finally put the broom aside, "your powers have some use after all. Now you need to learn how to do that on purpose and by mistake."

 

Sehun was about to complain, but Taeyeon stuffed an old rag and a small water bucket into his hands. "Clean the windows," she said. "I'll mop the floor.

 

Sehun did as told, but not before stomping away in irritation. He continued to grouch the whole way through the job, but he had to admit that it looked nice. The much-needed light came in easier through clean windows than it did through dirty ones. It made the neglected house feel less bleak and more welcoming. He always felt this way after cleaning, but it didn't make him want to do it again any more than it had the prior times.

 

Below him, the floors became a faded brown, worn through from the years of walking all over it. Tracking in dirt and mud from the forest and the streets had darkened it to near black, but a mop still managed to do well. As a whole, the house was a disaster and Sehun's destructive powers hadn't done anything to help its state. It was still home, though, and Sehun had found a strange fondness for it after all these years. It was the only home he had ever known.

 

Sehun got sent to clean his room next. This was a much easier task because he often cleaned up the mess he made from everyday use. No clothes littered the floor and his boots were always against the wall. But he had never held himself to the cleanliness standard that Taeyeon did. The few clothes he owned never had neat folds and his knickknacks were rarely moved for dusting. His bed was seldom made and the mud from his boots caked the floors.

 

"Stomp your boots out before going into your room, it's not difficult," she told him as he mopped up his own room. There was even rabbit poop that had gotten swept up under the bed at some point or another. That horrified Taeyeon to no end.

 

"Still not eating him," Sehun said before sticking his tongue out in her general direction. To make things even more plain he went to get an extra carrot for his little rabbit.

 

"He'd make a great meal," she said. Sehun wasn't listening.

 

With the house cleaned, Sehun was finally allowed to sit down for the first time in hours. Swept and mopped floors as well as cleaned windows were a new addition to the home. The few baubles they owned returning to their homes was the final touch. Sehun had gone back to the river two more times for more water. Taeyeon had tried to get him to go back out again one last time before he put his foot down. Exhaustion was hitting him, but he had to admit that the house looked rather pleasant. It only looked this nice when she was around. Taeyeon laughed at him.

 

"You're so young and yet you still can't hold a candle to my energy, can you?" she teased.

 

"You aren't normal," he shot back in irritation. "For an old lady such as yourself, it's a miracle you don't need a cane yet." It might have been a little too mean in response to Taeyeon's teasing.

 

"Do you want the belt, boy?" she countered, glaring at him while she folded her arms. She was not amused. "I may not be your father, but I know when a child is being disrespectful."

 

That shut Sehun up. When he was much younger, Taeyeon had enforced punishment once and he never forgot it. As a child, he grew a slight crush on Taeyeon. All the adults called it puppy love and claimed he would get over it, but back then it was very much real. But he had angered her enough to the point of forcing him to expose his bum for her to give him a good spanking. Sehun whined about it for days, even after Taeyeon left. It was embarrassing and his crush on Taeyeon was gone after that.

 

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he muttered as he shrank into himself. That physical response was not her fault though. Sehun had learned that response from someone elsewhere. Displeasing Sir Choi when he told Sehun to do something often came with punishments. They were not the punishments some people had told him of where he believed he would learn to like them. No, these were downright painful, and he did everything he could to avoid them now that he knew what to expect. Somehow, no matter how good he was, he never could escape punishment anyway. If the noble was in a bad mood, Sehun might get one for breathing too loud.

 

Taeyeon seemed to take note of this reaction, but she didn't say anything of it. Instead, she unfolded her arms and ruffled his hair as a way of comforting him and getting him to relax again. "Gather any money you wish to take with you," she said. "And don't forget your cloak. It's cold out there." Sehun nodded and went to gather his things.

 

He went back to his room where he had deposited his cloak on the bed he had made up fresh only an hour ago. But when he went to the nook in the wall that he hid his money in, he glanced at the few coins he had tossed on the top. Remembering the night with Sir Choi, he shivered and tried to justify his use of the coins. It required the use of an I-earned-it kind of attitude to settle his thoughts a little. If he had to take the abuse so he could live, at least he got something out of it, right? Right. He shoved a good amount of his scant savings in a pouch and left his room.

 

He came back out front where Taeyeon was waiting for him and they headed into town together. Even the difference between early morning and now was a great deal warmer. It was still chilly and Sehun's wound his cloak tight around himself, but it was better. It was at least much more tolerable than it had been when his fingers were freezing in the river only an hour ago. He was still excited to return home to a warm fire in the fireplace when they finished.

 

The market was lively, despite the cold. It was as if people didn't care and continued to go about their business in spite of it. He could hear children whining of the cold to their parents. Looking up, he spotted a few trying to take shelter in mothers' thick shawls to stay warm. Sehun thought they were cute. He had always liked children. His dreams would sometimes bring him to alternate realities where he was a father. Often, these dreams gave him a small gaggle of children that were rambunctious and loud.

 

It was too bad he never found women interesting anymore. Taeyeon had been a special case when he was young. Now that he was much older, he assumed his puppy love had been a passing thing even if Taeyeon hadn't spanked him. But his disinterest in women made it almost certain that he would never have children of his own. He couldn't say with confidence that he found anything interesting in men either. Particularly not with the way they tended to treat him when they showed interest.

 

Children were innocent things by comparison. They tended to find Sehun in a crowd and stare at him, but it wasn't the judging stares of the adults. It wasn't a stare with the same kinds of interests as adults either. It was a stare of curiosity. None of them had seen another silver haired young man in the village. Not even visitors aside from the elderly had silver hair either. Sehun was an anomaly and one they wanted to figure out if possible. Quite often, they would find him while he was walking around and ask to touch. He was never able to refuse. Sometimes they would ask why his hair was white or gray or anything but silver. He could only tell them his mother gave it to him when he was born.

 

There was one family that Sehun liked very much. They were the Kwaks and they were a very kind small family. The father had never judged him based on the way he looked or his social circumstances. The children had only ever loved to play with him if he were so willing or had the time. The mother, a reserved woman named Nina, never told her children to stay away from him. Her smile was hard to earn, but the first time Sehun saw it, he had smiled right back and it had given his day a permanent lift. There were no other families like the Kwaks in Falita.

 

Both Sehun and Taeyeon had their own priorities when they reached the markets. Taeyeon often liked to admire the jewelry stalls. Sehun likes to scan the stalls for anything to decorate with. For now, they remained together, but Sehun would go off on his own soon.

 

Taeyeon went around to almost every stall that was selling handmade jewelry. It was starting to bore Sehun since she never seemed pleased with the selection. She would also deny it to anyone that asked. Instead, she would only compliment their workmanship despite being a small business. That was true enough, but nothing seemed to catch Taeyeon's eye no matter how long she browsed. A larger market in a big city might have a better selection.

 

"What are you always looking for?" Sehun asked when they had walked away from the most recent stall. She shrugged in response and moved on to allow Sehun time to look at more stalls.

 

"I like sunstones," she answered. "But I suppose they're more difficult to come by in this region."

 

"Oh, you're a high-class lady," he teased. Indeed, sunstone was more precious than gold in these parts. If you wanted a sunstone, it would be cheaper for you to travel over the border and dig one up yourself. "You're not going to find those here."

 

She sighed as if she had had a long-standing belief had confirmed. "I see," she hummed. "I guess I'll have to settle for the clothes. The people of Falita know how to weave beautiful shawls at the very least.

 

Sehun let her go on her own to the cloth stalls, deciding to part there. He wanted to look at more of the little decorative pieces. If he looked harder, he might be able to find the trinket he had missed the last time he was here. He might even find something better. If he could afford the real thing, he would love to get it for Taeyeon instead of the shoddy imitation he had given her.

 

Sehun made his way through the little stalls at a slow pace. He combed every inch of merchandise to find what he was looking for, but no one had the little sun charm. He sighed and his shoulders slumped, but he tried very hard to not let it get him too down. He could always save up and get Taeyeon a gift next time something caught his eye. Instead of wallowing, he pushed his way through the crowds to get back to the cloth shops. If he could find Taeyeon, he would stay with her for the rest of her shopping experience.

 

On his way back, he got sidetracked by some of the smaller stalls that had set up shop on some of the side streets. They likely hadn't made it out early enough to get a spot on the main street. That tardiness resulted in a disadvantageous position and diminished business for the day. But Sehun felt a little hope rise in him that they might have what he was looking for. A little worry from the shopkeepers could result in lower prices, too, if he was lucky. So, thinking he would be quick, he stepped off the main street to glanced through the stalls.

 

Everyone was very friendly and urged him over to their stalls to show him what they had. But they weren't selling anything like what he wanted. There were more jewelry shops, soap vendors, and one or two peddlers of medicines and tonics. Sehun thought, for a moment, that he might stop for medicine, but his had father said he would take care of such a task.

 

Sehun was about to leave when someone opened a door to his left. A woman stood in the doorway with a pleasant smile and a clean appearance. He recognized her as one tended to do in such a small village, but he was unable to place her at the moment. She beckoned him over with an urgency that Sehun assumed only shop owners could muster. She must have been happy to be running out of stock for the day and wanted to see if she could get him to buy one of the last. All these vendors appreciated going home with empty carts and full sacks of coins.

 

Sehun hesitated. He was not usually the ones that these kinds of places looked for. Anyone who could afford space in one of the buildings often had wares too expensive for him. But she looked so earnest that she might have something for him. He wouldn't know what it was until he stepped inside. Her enthusiasm was piquing his interest. After another moment of standing still in the street, he let his curiosity get the better of him.

 

She waved him in again before he finally stepped forward. It could be a specialty shop. He might find Taeyeon something like the sun charm in there. Though unlikely, he might even be able to afford it.

 

He was so naive.

 

Upon entering, he realized the room was almost empty. There were a few shelves with sparse items in the corner. A counter sat towards the back of the room where a seller might keep their coin. Behind the counter was the door to the back room. But no signage of prices was in sight and everything in the room had a thick layer of dust. It was as if this room hadn't seen a person's hand in over a year.

 

Sehun became immediately confused. He turned to fix the woman with a confused stare, but two men entered from the door to the back room. That caught his attention. Alarm bells started going off even before they began to approach him. For a half second, he had frozen in his spot, unsure of what was happening. By the time his brain woke up, it was too late.

 

He spun around in an instant and bolted for the door, but the woman who had invited him in was in his way. She blocked the door with her body and reached behind her to fumble with the lock. Sehun pushed her to the side, but removing her stubborn body from his only exit took too long. Precious seconds that he did not have were slipping away. A hand landed on his shoulder and yanked him back.

 

One of the men slammed him to the floor where Sehun coughed up air from the sudden impact. His vision swam with two faces now hovering above him, covering his mouth with a thick piece of cloth. Sehun immediately began to struggle, trying to get away from the attackers, but it was no use. Strong hands kept his back glued to the floor. He was already a weakling as it was, and the two men were strong and lean. There were some scars on their muscled arms that suggested time at war. If not, they were at the very least no strangers to a fight. His struggling did get his mouth a moment free from the cloth that kept him quiet. It slipped from his lips enough for him to make a sound, but it would not last, so he had to take advantage of it while he could.

 

"HELP!" he screamed. But the scream died almost immediately as a backhanded blow landed across his face. Sehun stopped struggling for only a moment while the shock of the blow managed to take him over. Choked, fearful sobs left his mouth as he tried to shake them from him. Those sounds were not welcomed by the two men working to pin his arms down.

 

"Quiet, you piece of filth," one of the men hissed. Sehun only quieted when the cloth returned to his mouth, this time stuffed snug between his teeth. He gave a few kicks as his fight returned; a weak attempt to get them off him.

 

"Don't damage him," the woman said, coming to the side of the two men after shutting the curtains and locking the door. "The master likes him to remain blemish free." As he struggled, Sehun looked at her face again and recognized her to be one of the women who tended to Sir Choi. If his memory was correct, she wasn't a particularly high-ranking servant in the household. Sehun had never believed her to be much more than self-serving. It had taken him a little while to place her because she was a prime example of the kinds of people he tried to avoid. He would turn away every time she came down the hall to pass under her radar. As he was recognizing her, a shoe from one of the men pressed his head to the floor. It kept him from finding any easy way to get up and it made him feel all too vulnerable. His heart was a wild beat in his chest and his mind was a rush of potential escape plans, but nothing was plausible.

 

"You're a pretty boy, aren't you?" the man hummed in slight wonder. "No wonder he likes you." The second man reached forward to rip Sehun's cloak from his body. A moment later, a knife came to cut open his thin pants. Sehun stilled, not daring to struggle with a blade so close to his skin. He tried to breathe, but there was comfort he could bring himself at this point. The closest thing to a comfort was that he was not to be "damaged" and that meant his genitals were likely safe this time. But he knew exactly what they wanted, and he didn't want that to happen either. He could only let out quick breaths and pathetic whimpers against the cloth as his panic rose in him.

 

"Oh, shut up," the man above him hissed. He dug his shoe a little more into Sehun's head, pressing his cheek further to the floor. "We aren't going to kill you. We want to have a little fun before tomorrow. That's all." That's when it dawned on Sehun who these men were. The order from Sir Choi to return in two days rang in his head. He was to entertain some friends. These must be the friends he had spoken of. Sehun didn't like them one bit. They scared him, but their intentions scared him even more. He tried to let out another scream. His struggles continued once the knife had left his clothing. A tattered mess of useless fabric now lay about his legs. He tried to throw off the two men, strengthening his thrashing in his desperate attempts to get away.

 

"Feisty!" he heard the first man say. The boot came away from his head, but it returned with a swift stomp to his gut. It would be plenty enough to leave an ugly bruise and it winded him to the point of gagging on air. Hands held him fast as he writhed from the pain. He would have rolled over, would have clutched his stomach and tried to crawl away. No freedom of such movements existed, and he found a knife at his throat. "Sit there like a good boy and do what you're told."

 

Sehun shook his head, frightened. The man's eyes flashed, and he directed his accomplices to keep Sehun still. Soon, Sehun couldn't move at all. The second man helped the maid secure his arms above his head before he removed the remnants of his pants. Sehun couldn't even find it in himself to scream into the gag anymore, but he wanted someone to hear and come save him. The panic was nearing its peak. He could feel the magic in him bubbling to the surface. He was about to lose it. The man with the knife was forcing himself between Sehun's legs and opening his own pants. Something finally broke. Sehun finally found the will to try one more time.

 

He screamed louder than he had ever screamed in his life, letting it soak into and through the gag. The sheer desperation pierced the air and the wind began to lift around him. Thus began, Sehun's second biggest mistake of his life.

 

At first no one noticed, since all the breeze did was shift the dust around them. But it soon grew into a persistent wind churning through the closed room. Then it became a gale that had all three of his assailants stumbling to their feet and releasing him. He curled into himself as a form of protection, but the winds did not die down.

 

Things lifted from their positions on shelves and windows rattled in their frames. Still the wind grew stronger and stronger as Sehun's panic took over all rational thought. As he lay there, naked from the waist down, he couldn't seem to gather enough of his wits together. He couldn't even bring himself to find his cloak and cover himself up again. He wasn't of a mental capacity to do anything. 

 

The woman was the first to go running from the room. She screamed in fear at the explosion of power and wanted nothing more than to get away. Her fingers made frantic, bumbling attempts to open the locked door. Once she managed to wrench the door open, she ran from the building, abandoning the two men she was aiding. The wind slammed the door closed again.

 

Sehun couldn't grasp the severity of the situation. During that moment, all he could think about was protecting himself. He couldn't comprehend what he had done. He was only concerned with the fact that no one was touching him. No one was trying to violate him. The two men had taken up shelter in a corner of the room, cowering and unable to move while the wind raged around them. If Sehun had been of a more stable mind, he might have laughed. These men had walked in unafraid and taunting, now all their confidence had faded to fear.

 

After what felt like an eternity, the door burst open again and Sehun was too afraid to look up. He couldn't even open his eyes. The winds would protect him. He would be safe here. 

 

It was only gentle hands that met his shoulders. He flinched at the touch first, not welcoming it like he would under normal circumstances. The storm raged on, but it didn't even matter anymore. It only took short seconds for Sehun to recognize that touch. Taeyeon had come to save him.

 

Sehun looked up, opening his eyes for the first time since his attackers had retreated. She did something with her hands that mesmerized him for a few seconds. He snapped out of it when he heard two heavy thuds. He looked behind himself and noted the two men now passed out in their corner. With their sudden unconsciousness, Sehun's panic dwindled and the wind died down.

 

Taeyeon moved to retrieve his discarded cloak. It had managed to tangle itself over a damaged piece of furniture, but despite the age of the fabric it hadn't torn. She wrapped it around his shoulders, securing it at the waist to be sure it protected his modesty. She wanted to be sure they could leave without drawing further attention.

 

Once she finished, she didn't waste time in ushering Sehun to his feet and out on trembling legs. They didn't speak yet and they didn't look back. Sehun didn't want to know how temporary whatever Taeyeon had done to those men was. He didn't want to stick around to find out either. He wanted to go home and never see their faces again if at all possible. He wasn't thinking about the consequences of losing control of his powers right now.

 

Taeyeon shifted her hold to his hand only when they were out on the main street again. Somehow, she knew Sehun would be feeling uncomfortable with more than that. Sehun took notice and was grateful for the tender care. He didn't have the strength to run back to the house. Taeyeon's hand kept him going, urging him to move as fast as he thought he could. They needed to get home, but out of consideration for his mental state, she did not push him more.

 

Once on the uphill climb towards his home, Sehun finally allowed himself to cry. The weight of what he had done finally hit him. The tears were quick to come, but the sobs wouldn't follow until they were at the little wooden gate to their lands. Taeyeon gripped his hand a little tighter as a sign of reassurance. Words would come as soon as she got him seated in a place he felt safe.

 

She rushed them in the door and bolted it shut behind her. A brief glance around the hovel brought relief when she noticed Junseok's satchel. He had gotten home in the time that they had been out and that was for the best.

 

Junseok came out of his room when he heard them enter the house. He was smiling and about to ask them how their shopping had gone and thank the both of them for a job well done on the house. The smile was quick to disappear from his face when he saw the state his son was in.

 

Immediately, he jumped to Sehun's side and sat him down on one of the rickety chairs. He used gentle fingers to swipe the tears from his son's face. Then he looked up at Taeyeon. "What happened?"

 

"As far as I can tell, an attacker tricked him into a room and assaulted him," she answered. She looked out the window, hoping not to see anyone coming yet, before closing the moth-eaten curtains. "They almost got what they wanted, too."

 

"But you found him in time?" Junseok asked.

 

"No," she admitted with a slow shake of the head. "I found him after he started a storm inside the building. A woman came screaming out of a doorway and I had a bad feeling. I went to look and there he was in the midst of a near tornado trying to protect himself. He's lucky the people outside were more interested in what was bothering the woman. She was making such a fuss that no one bothered finding out what she was running from."

 

Junseok's eyes widened and he froze completely where he stood. His hand gripped Sehun's shoulder. It was a tight grip that Sehun associated with protection rather than anger. "So, you're telling me..."

 

"He has exposed himself," Taeyeon clarified. "To some very dangerous people in fact. I was able to knock the two men out, which has bought us a little time. But I'm afraid they will report as soon as they wake up. The woman will report, too, once she is coherent again. Someone will be here in no more than an hour to take him away. They may even be here sooner than that."

 

“I…” His father had no words. He looked between Taeyeon, his son, and the bolted doorway. Nothing was coming to mind, no plan, no solution. He could only think of one option he had left. “We have to leave.”

 

“There’s no time,” Taeyeon told him, pacing the length of the room while she tried to think. "He can't move right now. He’s in shock and he would slow you down like this. You also can’t go out there without supplies. You would be dead within a few days if you weren’t caught already.”

 

“They’re going to kill my son!” he yelled. “He’s all I have left, Taeyeon. Don’t you understand that? I can’t sit here and let them take him away from me!”

 

“You can and you must!” she argued, urging him to understand where they stood. She approached him and laid an understanding hand on his shoulder. She knew what he was going through. She had tried to avoid this with her own son ever since she had him. This horror and these unbearable feelings were why. “They will not kill him on sight. These cases are for the royal guard to take care of. They will imprison him, yes. They will do horrible things to him to get a confession out of him while they wait for a guardsman to arrive. But he will be alive to stand trial, or the jailers here will stand their own trial for unjust slaughter.”

 

“You want me to let them have my son?” Junseok questioned, face tight, muscles flexing in his jaw as if he would fight anyone who dared to touch his son.

 

She ducked her head, looking at the floor. “Only for a few hours,” she answered in a soft voice. “I have a plan. But you need to pack anything you think you two will need while you travel. He's been keeping things from you that will also make his leaving difficult. If you were to attempt to leave now without supplies, you will both die. There is no question. You need a head start."

 

"What things?" his father demanded, looking down at Sehun who could do no more than wince. When he didn't give him an answer, Junseok turned back to Taeyeon. "Tell me!"

 

"A nobleman discovered Sehun's gifts much earlier," Taeyeon's halting voice answered him. "He struck a deal to keep it a secret. But now that this is occurring, he'll have someone else after him so that he can't drag them into it. You need the extra time to get your things and his together. It's the only way you can hope to escape with the both of you still alive. If he's not taken in, he will be a sitting duck for them here instead. Once he is free, I am sure I can buy you enough time to get him away, no matter how terrible his injuries are. Cross the border into Eriand. You will both be free to live your lives.”

 

Sehun may not have been in the best of mindsets, but he was listening, intent on every word she was saying. He looked up at Taeyeon, scared for his life and uncertain of whether he could trust her or not. She was proposing he allow himself to a beating that would put him within an inch of his life. There would be torture for information that could result in his death. The humiliation to top it all off would make him wish that he were dead in the first place. He had been allowing half of that for a year now and it wasn't enough.

 

But this was Taeyeon. He had known her much of his life and he had to trust that she would free him. She was giving him a way to a better life. A free one where he could practice his magic and live up to his mother's name as a wind mage. But that didn't stop the fear from creeping into his bones.

 

He had seen what people looked like when they left the dungeons. Even those convicted of crimes they did not commit always left battered and bloodied. Sometimes they left the dungeons without some of their extremities. Common punishments were losing fingers for thievery and broken bones for domestic abuse. But he had heard of sexual assault for those that committed the very same crime. Murder required a full trial, but all the above and worse were common methods employed in torture. It was all to make the person acknowledge their crimes. Sehun didn't know what would wait for him in those cells. No being of magic was ever found there before.

 

"I'm scared..." he finally rasped out. The two adults in the room looked at him and he could see his father breaking before his eyes. Junseok ran comforting fingers over Sehun's face. He took away the traces of tears left behind like he used to when Sehun was only a little boy. Then he looked back to Taeyeon with a frown and pleading eyes.

 

"You promise he will be free when this is all over?" he asked her.

 

"I promise," she said. "He will have a life he can be proud of. He won't have to hide anymore."

 

Then his father was back to staring at Sehun, that frown still on his face and a helpless look in his eyes. He was hoping with all his heart that this worked and Sehun didn't have to hear it to know that. He was asking for understanding and any bravery Sehun could muster and 

 

"Then I'll allow them to take him from me," he whispered, pulling his son to him to comfort the both of them. "But he must return to me. I wouldn't have a reason left to live without him."

 

Taeyeon nodded her understanding. There was a deep sadness that enveloped her and only Sehun seemed to see it. Even when his father looked at her again, he only seemed to register his own sadness and hopelessness. But Sehun couldn't bring himself to comment on it. It felt private, and he wanted to extend the courtesy to her.

 

Taeyeon calmed him with tea and sent him to get dressed in a different pair of pants. His father began to pack their useful belongings and hide them away before anyone showed up. It was a painful, slow process and Sehun picked out the most important things he felt he owned to keep. Everything else had to stay here.

 

His father and Taeyeon talked to him, calming him and trying to prepare him for what was to come. Sehun cried and prayed for another way, but there was none. They had only begun to collect their things when a series of aggressive bangs came to the door.


	3. Chapter 3

The heavy pounding on the door gave way to loud demands for the door to open immediately. Sehun's father straightened himself up and wiped his face of emotion. When he unbolted the door, there were people everywhere, running into the house. They grabbed Sehun and pushed him down into a seat. In the confusion, it was natural for Sehun to want to struggle. he was still thinking about how his earlier attackers had held him down.

 

The people in front of him now forced something into his mouth. A small handful of some kind of leaf. His immediate instinct was to spit it out, but a hand covered his face and ordered him to chew and swallow. With great reluctance, he swallowed the dry leaves, but it didn’t still the fear boiling in his stomach. The release of tension in his gut came quick and unexplained. It wasn’t the relaxing of his anxiety, that was still pumping strong in his veins. It was the quieting of his usually volatile powers.

 

Sehun didn’t say anything about this, but it was all he could think about. He couldn't hear the shouts of horror from Taeyeon and his father. He was still not in control of himself and and the people pulled him to his feet after swallowing the plant. His legs started walking at the quick pace he was being dragged away at. He tripped many times, but a knife held to his back kept him moving forward. Everyone around him told him to keep walking.

 

He couldn't breathe, and he didn't know what to say except one thing. "I haven't done anything wrong! Please! Let me go!" He looked back once to his grief-stricken father and the woman he called sister. They tried to supply their courage, but it was clear they couldn't do anything to help him in this very moment.

 

"It'll be okay, Sehun!" Taeyeon cried as she held Junseok back. She knew that if she let him go, he would run after Sehun. "You'll be okay! I promise!"

 

\-----

 

They threw Sehun into a dark cell by himself without a word. He fell to his hands and knees, but he was at least glad to be away from all the people grabbing him. It was dark, but he scrambled to the wall where he felt as safe as he could in this place. In reality, nowhere was safe. After all, this was solitary confinement. For whatever reason, they thought he was dangerous enough to warrant this. 

 

Sehun clutched his cloak around himself. He hadn't even had time to grab anything warmer. They wouldn't even listen to him when he tried to report the assault on the way in. He wasn't looking for a way out, he knew better than that. He was only looking to get those awful men put away before they hurt anyone else. No one believed him.

 

Those very men, once they awakened, had reported that Sehun had attacked them in their own shop. He knocked them out with his devil powers and robbed them. It didn't help Sehun's predicament that they had the protection of Sir Choi. It came as no surprise that the nobleman wasn't interested in protecting him anymore. After this, Sehun would no longer be the beauty that Sir Choi kept around. In fact, if proved guilty, Sir Choi will play the victim to Sehun's charade. All that Sehun had gone through to preserve his own life was now worth nothing.

 

They left Sehun in solitary confinement for what felt like hours. He knew that there was a window in the door they had pushed him through, but he couldn't bring himself to look through it. Sometimes, someone would glance through it to check on him. Such an action deprived Sehun of most of what little light it provided.

 

Sehun found himself picking at the floor and his fear melting away only because of time. But his brain kept going into quick bursts of too much thought. He needed a better distraction than the fading sting from cuts and scrapes. He closed his eyes tight for a moment and tried to think beyond the noise that reverberated in his head.

 

He finally found something. Taeyeon hadn't always made bird calls to entertain him. She had also done it to sooth him as a child. They might still have that effect on him now. Sehun took a breath in an attempt to steady himself. He wet his dry lips with a swipe of the tongue and cupped his hands around his mouth.

 

He started with simpler bird calls; the ones Taeyeon had taught him first. They were hesitant and quiet at first, but they grew in volume and confidence over time. He sang the easy bird warbles and practiced the ones he had yet to perfect. Anything would help at this point to calm him down. He didn't like feeling so afraid.

 

Getting to the song of the nightingale was where he found real calm. He could close his eyes and pretend he was back in the forest for a few minutes. Taeyeon was beside him in these imaginings and her bird songs were much more authentic than his. He found his lips quirking in a fraction of a smile.

 

The pleasant daydream ended, when the door to his cell opened and light flooded the once dark room. Sehun shrank away from it, hoping that keeping himself in the dark would hide him. A woman entered the cell with a candle and a bowl of something warm. The door closed behind her and her candle became the only source of light left.

 

"Sehun?" a familiar voice called to him. He knew her voice and his eyes were growing used to the light again. It was Nina Kwak. But even though he now recognized her, he still tried to keep himself glued to the wall of the cell. "Don't be afraid."

 

She came to sit down in front of him. She set the candle in its holder down, but she held onto the bowl for a few moments longer. What was she doing here? Sehun wanted to ask, but he couldn't find his voice.

 

When Nina shifted, the movement startled Sehun and he flinched, shutting his eyes. He felt his power rise at his fear, but all that emerged was a tiny breeze that caused the candle's flame to flicker.

 

"Open your eyes," Nina said, voice soft as she only laid a gentle hand on his arm. He didn't want to, but she had always been kind to him before. She might not be like the rest of them. With a great amount of hesitation and his brain screaming at him to not listen to her, he opened his eyes. She was holding out the bowl to him, filled with a muddy green liquid. It reminded him a lot of medicine in color. The smelled like it, too. He remembers being a child and running from this stuff. "Eat this," she said.

 

"What is it?" Sehun asked, not reaching for the bowl. She pressed it into his palms before she spoke again, urging him to be good.

 

"It is a tonic," she said. "It will calm you, but it also does what they need it to."

 

Sehun looked down at the tonic and fiddled with the supplied spoon. He didn't eat. "What do they need it to do?" he questioned. Some part of him wondered if it was poison and he wondered if he would live to see the next few hours.

 

"Did they force you to eat some leaves before bringing you here?" she asked him.

 

Sehun nodded in response.

 

"They are of a plant that does not grow in our woods," she told him. "If someone with a magical gift eats them, their powers go to sleep anywhere from a few hours to a few days. If someone without a magical gift eats them, then nothing happens. Someone has accused you of having a magical gift, so they are making sure you can't attack them with it."

 

That explained the uneasiness Sehun had felt as soon as they had made him swallow the herb the first time. He could still feel his gift, but it was useless the way it was. It couldn't protect him from more than a flying insect. Whatever they intended to do to him here, he would be defenseless for.

 

"Why are they giving me a choice to eat this now?" he asked Nina.

 

"They're not," she responded, frown set firm on her face. "You either eat this on your own or they come in here and force you to eat it. I would suggest you take the former option. I was able to convince them that a kind touch might yield better results. But I'm afraid this may be the only kindness you will see in here."

 

Sehun's throat locked up, but instead of responding, he only nodded. His hands were shaking as he brought the spoon to his mouth. It was bitter, but it was hot and that made it tolerable. Swallowing the food was difficult, but whatever else was in this food did indeed calm his despair. He was halfway through eating it when Nina spoke again.

 

"You will be fine," she told him, eyes pleading for his understanding. "You're a strong, good kid, and you will make it through this."

 

"It doesn't feel like it..." Sehun said, taking another hard swallow.

 

"But you will," Nina continued. "And everything will be much better. Be brave and answer their questions." She took the bowl back from him when he finished the food. She made to get up, but she gripped his hand in a comforting squeeze before she did.

 

The door to his cell opened again to let her out. A few of the higher ups came in after she left. They moved around the edge of the cell and waited. No one touched him and no one approached him, yet, but he was still unnerved. They looked at him with stone cold eyes and imposing demeanor about them. Compared to how Sehun felt, they looked like giants in his mind's eye.

 

"So it's the white haired boy after all," the warden grunted. "I always had a feeling. Years ago when his mother came in right after the exodus of magic folk, I guessed she might have been one of them. But no proof and she died shortly after arriving."

 

Sehun didn't like hearing about his mother in a place like this. What right did these awful people have to talk about her? But he said nothing. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. It likely only would have served to get him a beating before his interrogation.

 

"Her face was pretty, though," someone else said. Sehun's eyes found them as soon as they spoke. They looked to be a mid ranking guard. He was someone who could make comments, but couldn't otherwise do much beyond his post. "If she hadn't been pregnant, I would have found her attractive."

 

There was a laugh around the room and Sehun wanted to scream. They had him trapped and the topics of conversation were vile. They spoke as if he were not even there.

 

"Her boy is almost as good looking, though."

 

That sent shivers of dread down Sehun's spine.

 

"I heard someone had a thing going with him," someone else added; another guard on the opposite side of the warden. "A married man. Paid him for a fuck a day and he said yes."

 

"A prostitute, then," the warden grunted. Sehun wanted to shout that it was a lie. He wanted to defend himself and tell them all the things he had to do to keep himself alive. If they ever had to experience living in a country that didn't want them, they would understand then. But that defense would bring the hammer down on him. If Sehun were to make it out alive, he needed to maintain that he was a normal human being with no magic. He needed to keep what little left of his secret that he could for as long as it took. Taeyeon would get him out of there.

 

Sehun's finger's curled into tight fists against the stones beneath him to keep calm. This was only achievable with the aid of the food Nina had provided him.

 

There was movement then. The two guards stepped forward to come farther into the cell and grab him. Their movements were slow, as if trying not to startle him. Sehun wasn't sure if that was an illusion supplied by the herbs or if that was actually happening. He whimpered and stood, going where they directed without a fight.

 

Walking down the hall, Sehun looked around with bleary eyes. It was a little too bright out here after being in the dark for so long. But he noted that the other cells of solitary confinement faded behind him the farther on they led him. Barred cells came into view and prisoners in various states of neglect were visible. As they passed, some shrank from the bars, hoping the guards would overlook them. Some begged for food or water, and others for medicine. Some prisoners had no reaction at all to the small group and Sehun was afraid of what that could mean for them. They could be sleeping, yes, but they also could be at death's door.

 

There was an alcove in this cell block, that they walked Sehun to. Tools of all kinds adorned the walls of this small space, and Sehun didn't need to ask what they were for. They shoved him down onto his knees in the center of the little recess where they restrained him. It was a physical restraint by the guards for now, but Sehun imagined they were not above using rope and metal. He wondered if they were trying to stick to Nina's suggestion of kindness for the time being. He shifted from discomfort and he looked at the men around him. He prayed to the gods for someone to come save him.

 

Now that they had him restrained, Sehun realized he had never found a group to be more formidable than these men. Not even the noble had struck this much raw fear in him when he held his life in his hands. It might have been because what Sir Choi promised was much quicker. This, by comparison, was not going to be quick. Sehun shrank into himself as best as he could and looked down, but it became clear that that was not acceptable. The warden grabbed his face and forced him to look up at them. It was a similar action to what Sir Choi would do.

 

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," the warden said, looking down at Sehun with hard eyes. "Explain to us what happened. We're going to be far nicer than the king's men."

 

Sehun had severe doubts about that statement, but he wasn't going to tell them he thought so. He didn't say anything at all, not wanting to get himself into even deeper trouble. But if he didn't say anything, then there would be a different kind of trouble.

 

"I didn't do anything..." he finally rasped out.

 

There was a backhanded strike to his jaw and his head shot to the side with the force of the blow. He could taste the iron of his blood in his mouth. It was almost identical to the blow he had received from his attackers earlier for screaming.

 

"That's not what your victims told us," his jailer growled. "You attacked guests of the noble Choi. The only question is, why?"

 

Sehun looked back at the warden with what little defiance he could muster. His lips trembled in fear and hopeless emotion, but he repeated himself all the same. "I didn't do anything," he said, voice watery and unstable. "They attacked me. They tried to rape me while I was shopping in the market with my visiting friend."

 

"Liar," one of the other men said. "We have a witness. One of the maids of the nobleman. She was there, was she not?" Sehun paled at the mention of the woman. As Taeyeon had predicted, once she came to her senses, the woman had gone straight to the authorities. "She says you attacked unprovoked. Says she almost didn't escape with her life."

 

"She's the one lying!" Sehun insisted. If he hadn't eaten those leaves, his powers would already be a mess with his desperation. He didn't know what he could do to prove it, but he was sure someone had to believe him. They were only going on unverified information. Didn't matter that Sehun had magic or not, they were dragging his reputation through the mud first.  "She was assisting them in sexual assault!"

 

"Tell the truth!" the warden spat. Then there was a kick right between his legs. Sehun screamed as the agony burst through him from the sudden impact. He doubled over, searching for breath, but the warden continued. "Tell us why you attacked them or we're going to start treating you like the prisoner you are."

 

"But I didn't..." Sehun gasped, still trying to breathe. "I didn't do anything!"

 

With that insistent answer, the warden lost his patience. He snapped his fingers and the guards pulled Sehun to his feet. He wasn't given even half a moment to make a run for it. They dragged him away and stripped him of his heavy cloak before leading him outside.

 

Sehun never thought he would see the whipping post from this angle. He grew accustomed to watching from across the square if he were present when the post was in use. Now they were locking his arms to it and he could only bend to accommodate the pulling. His peripheral vision caught adults ushering their children away. Some went into their homes, and others returned the direction they had come. Quite a few of the adults stayed out of morbid curiosity.

 

It was when the locks clicked around his wrists that his panic started to return. In a sudden burst of frightened energy, he began to cry and plead for them to let him go. His pleading fell on deaf ears as they ripped open the back of his shirt. They used some of the torn fabric to stuff his mouth so they could silence his begging. Sehun laid his head against the post as he started to give up. He could only mentally prepare himself for what was to happen. 

 

The first lash came quick with a crack of thunder and his back burned like fire. The pain was not as bad as he thought it would be. That or it didn't register in his head the way it should have. He still screamed out of reflex into the makeshift gag, but he had felt worse pain before. It wasn't until the lashes of the whip continued to come that it became unbearable. The people in the square looked on in both horror and fascination as the whip ripped open his back.

 

Sehun's vision was beginning to blacken around the edges by lash twenty. His throat was raw from protests no one heard and he could feel the blood dripping down his back. He was so close to that blessed darkness that he was almost relieved. He tensed with every blow and his eyes still dripped tears from the abuse. His screams had died down though did not disappear. The pain was still very real and it got worse as every strike dug into screaming, open flesh. He wanted to pass out and let them finish with him.

 

That wish never came true. He tensed for another blow, but it never came. Instead, a guard came to unlock the cuffs keeping him to the post. He felt like he would collapse under his own weight as soon as he stood straight from the post. His legs felt like flower stalks rather than muscle and bone, but the guard pushed him to move despite this. He made it halfway to the cell block door before his legs gave out. A guard was there to catch him, but the touch was not gentle in the slightest. The guard grunted in irritation as he pushed Sehun again toward the door.

 

Upon making it back inside, Sehun noticed a chair now occupied the space in the alcove where he had once knelt. It was wooden and rough with use. Brief thoughts brought to him visions of many other people who had sat in this very chair. He tried to block them out when the warden pushed him down into it and guards tied his wrists to the arm rests. Sitting back against the splintered chair felt like sandpaper against his raw back.

 

He couldn't say anything with a cloth still in his mouth, but he wasn't sure he had the energy to say anything anyway. He sat there as still as he could get, wishing to have his cloak back to keep the wood off his back. He was not so lucky. He should have known he was not that lucky. If blessings of such fortune had been upon him, he wouldn't be in this situation to begin with.

 

"Ready to speak now?" the warden asked, pulling the cloth from Sehun’s mouth. Sehun remained quiet. It wasn't his life alone on the line. They refused to hear his story about what happened, so there was no point in speaking. If he revealed anything about his powers to these men, his father would be guilty of hiding him. But he was sure of one thing. Powers or no, he had no attacked anyone, and he would not admit to doing so. He would always answer to his crimes if he ever committed any. His father had brought him up to know that was honorable. But his gift was no crime and he had not attacked those people.

 

"Last chance boy," one of the guards warned. Sehun still didn't speak. The guards and the warden exchanged looks with each other, making plans to deal with Sehun.

 

Seeing this, a prisoner rushed his own cell, fingers gripping the bars in desperation. He shouted to Sehun, hoping to not see any more. "Tell them why you did it," the stranger pleaded, succeeding in calling Sehun's attention. "You'll regret your silence."

 

Sehun looked up at him with emotionless eyes. The man was middle-aged, and his face was a mess of unkempt facial hair. His skin was full of sores and bruises and he looked so tired Sehun wondered if he had ever slept. Sehun assumed he was like him. Stubborn and prideful for something. He was innocent of whatever they had accused him of. So hearing this man tell him he would regret it had no weight on Sehun. He only smiled back at the man with a half-crazed look in his eye. There was some courage left in him yet.

 

"I will not admit to a crime I did not commit," he rasped out, loud enough for the man to hear him. "Never." Then, because he felt he had nothing to lose, he turned and spat in the face of the warden. For a moment, the warden stood still, weighing the proper response.  Then his hand moved to wipe the spittle away from his face, a jerk of his head indicating for the two guards to move.

 

Even when the guards descended on him once more, Sehun didn't regret it. They reinforced the restraints holding him to the chair. His arms in particular were bound again with more lengths of rope. They looped rope around his ankles, keeping them firm against the chair legs. Sehun assumed this was all to keep his thrashing under control. He didn't even pay attention to what they were doing anymore. He knew it was going to hurt and he didn't care. He could die in this cellblock for all he cared as long as he kept this one bit of pride he had left in him.

 

Then a hammer came down on his right arm and he screamed as the bones cracked under the pressure. They pulverized his arm while he screamed bloody murder, starting with his forearm. They only stopped when they deemed the bones shattered. But it was not over after that. They moved to his upper arm.

 

"Tell us why you attacked them," the warden ordered.

 

"I didn't!" Sehun screamed. The hammer was back, wrecking the bones in his upper arm, being as thorough as it had been on his forearm.

 

"Keep lying and it's going to get worse," the warden warned. But Sehun didn't know how this could get any worse.

 

"They attacked me!" Sehun shrieked. "I didn't attack them!"

 

"You attacked them with magic!" the warden roared. "There was a witness!"

 

"No, no, no!" Sehun cried, breathing only for a few seconds when the hammer no longer fell on his arm. But it didn't need to come down anymore. All they needed to do now was dig fingers into his shattered bones.

 

Hands gripped his arm and twisted. His screams filled the air as the door to the cellblock opened and a completely new guard ran to the warden. He spoke quick words in the man's ear. It appeared to be a matter of urgency. The warden's eyes widened and he held up a hand for the two guards next to Sehun to stop.

 

They released his mangled arm, and Sehun's wish to black out finally came true.

 

\-----

 

He was back in his cell when he woke again, a gentle hand shaking him awake. But no amount of kindness could stop the touch from hurting him. His entire body was a mess of bruises and blood and aches and unbearable pain. He didn't want to move from where he lay.

 

"Sehun, wake up," a familiar voice called to him. "I don't have much time, please."

 

Sehun wasn't sure he had the strength to open his eyes, but he forced himself to so he could look at her. It was Taeyeon. Her face was blurry the first time Sehun looked at her, prompting a few more blinks to clear his vision. She was frowning down at him, face lined with worry. She was staring at his destroyed arm.

 

“Tae…” he breathed, a relieved smile on his face. He tried to move, but the broken bones in his arm refused to cooperate. His movements were sluggish as he turned over to use his left arm instead. Taeyeon ended up having to support him in getting him to sit up. Once seated, she tossed his cloak around his shoulders, tying it closed. He hissed at the rough, thick fabric against the open wounds on his back, but there was no current choice.

 

"I'm sorry, Sehun," Taeyeon said, voice soft and somber in the dark room.  She kept her voice down even though no one else was there to hear her speak. Sehun wondered if there was someone right outside the door. "Sehun, you have to leave here."

 

"I know," Sehun rasped. He looked at her with the same adoring eyes he had always given her. She was his big sister and he was so glad she had come to save him like she had promised. "Is that why you're here? To sneak me out?"

 

"They're releasing you," Taeyeon corrected with a shake of her head. "I gave them 'proof' it wasn't you who attacked those men." She said it like she was happy, but the way she averted her eyes told Sehun there was more than she was telling him.

 

"Then," he began, coughing once or twice. It hurt to even do that. "Then, who did attack those men?" he asked, the hesitation in that question almost tangible.

 

Taeyeon gave him a sad smile.

 

"I did." She kissed Sehun's forehead and helped him stand. "They're releasing you because I could prove that I made that wind storm. I even told them I did it because you were being attacked and I wanted to save you."

 

"But how?" Sehun asked, horror finding its way into his voice. She was offering herself up in his place. This was not what he had expected when she promised him freedom. She hushed him and his fears, but he needed answers. "How? You don't have the same power."

 

"I borrowed it from you," she told him. "But does it matter how I did it?"

 

It was then that Sehun realized he had never asked about how her powers worked. He had seen her do some magic with the sun before, so he had assumed that was her gift. But she had many little bottles that she consumed right before she performed magic. He didn't know what they were, she had only asked him not to touch them.

 

She brushed his sweat matted hair out of his face and led him to the door of the cell. "You need to leave this place." she told him, her voice charged with sudden urgency. "It will kill you, whether it be today, tomorrow, or sometime in the future. Destiny has far better things planned for you than that."

 

"Tae, I don't understand!" Sehun said, unable to resist her push towards his freedom and her entrapment. He didn't have the strength in him to do more than dig his heels into the ground. "I don't understand why you're not coming with me."

 

"Because I admitted to magic," she replied, far too calm for what the situation should have required. "I admitted to it to save you, like I told your father I would. And I am saving you because I love you, Sehun. You're like my son in so many ways and sometimes like my brother. I couldn't bare to see you executed like this. I hated sending you here, but your father needed time to gather your things. The people who put you here are being forced to let you go, but they will not let you go without a fight. You two needed time to prepare if your escape was going to be successful."

 

"But you are going to die!" Sehun cried. he didn't care how loud he was being now. He didn't care in the slightest. If anyone was outside the door, he didn't care. He couldn't let this happen.

 

"And it is my choice to do so," Taeyeon assured him. "I know what I am doing." She pushed Sehun beyond the cell door and into careful arms. Taeyeon stood in the doorway so Sehun couldn't go back in. "I promised them I would cooperate, and I would confess to everything they wanted if they gave me some time with you. That time is almost up. You need to leave now, Sehun."

 

"I can't!" he cried, leaning against whoever was holding him. He had to be heavy, but he couldn't stand up straight when everything, including his heart, hurt so much. "Not until I've saved you, too!"

 

"You can't save me," she said, allowing herself to reach forward and touch his hand one last time. "But if you would like to thank me, there is something I would like to ask of you."

 

"What is it?" he demanded, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. No favor would ever get rid of this guilt for sending Taeyeon to her execution. She was doing it because of him. If he could do anything for her in return, he would do it without hesitation.

 

"Find my brother," she requested. "His name is Jongin, and the two of us had a curse placed on us when we were very little. It keeps us apart, because the elders believed I was not performing my duties as I should be. I haven't seen him since." She looked down at her feet as if remembering something long past. Sehun couldn't remember ever seeing her this sad. "I traveled my whole life looking for him and a way to break our curse, but I never found anything. I only have a token of our bond left. Use it to find him."

 

"Where is it?" he asked, quick to jump on this request.

 

"I have hidden it in the things your father packed," she said. "You will know it when you see it. Keep it safe and leave this place. When you find Jongin, give him my love and an apology for failing as his elder sister."

 

As she finished making her request, the person holding him began to pull him away from Taeyeon's cell. Sehun looked back for the first time to see who it was. He shouldn't have been even a little surprised to find that it was Nina, but he was. 

 

"We must go," she said. It was another calm voice, but he ignored her and looked back at Taeyeon, tears cascading down his cheeks. He didn't want to leave her here. He wanted her to come with them. She could see her son again. She could help find him a tutor for his magic.

 

"I'll find him," he promised. "On my life, I swear I'll find him." He was being urged out of the room by Nina, but he tried to make himself heard. "I'll feel guilty forever for letting you do this, but Taeyeon, I swear, I'll find him. When I do, I'll give you a proper burial with every sunstone I can find."

 

"Sehun, please," she whispered. "You need to leave. Don't make my sacrifice in vain." She was crying, too, and that was part of what hurt the most. "And if you see my son, apologize to him for me as well, for never being the mother he wanted. I always did love him." Then she stepped back into the cell and sealed herself in. The door to the cell closed between them and Sehun finally broke, face contorted with loss and regret. Nina allowed him a few moments to cry before she directed him away from solitary confinement.

 

He wanted to scream out his grief as he walked away from Taeyeon, every step feeling heavier than the last. Nina's hold calmed him a little, and his tears had dried up by the time they reached the warden's office. She sat him down in a chair in the empty office before she pulled his head down on her shoulder. It was a comfort, but it would never be enough.

 

The warden stepped into the office after Nina let go of him. Sehun didn't pay much attention to what the warden said or did. He could only think of Taeyeon and her imminent fate. The warden signed his release documents and stowed them in the drawers of his desk. Then he pulled out a sack of coins. The sack itself was small, but it was full. He placed it straight in Sehun's left hand.

 

"Your compensation for the trouble," the warden grunted. If Sehun had been more like himself, he would have been angry. But right now, he felt so drained of energy and all his emotions were defaulting to sadness. There was no anger, yet, though he imagined there would be sometime in the future.

 

"Come, Sehun. I'll take you home," Nina said once the warden had finished. She coaxed him from his seat and made sure the money was secure under his cloak.

 

She led him out of the jail, making sure his cloak was secure around his body, hiding his injuries from the public eye. She understood the need to protect one's pride. She also knew Sehun would not want his last impression to be of a boy beaten to submission. He wanted to leave while at least pretending to stand tall and strong.

 

She led him back up the hill to his and his father's property at the edge of the forest. but she stopped him from approaching the house for a few moments longer. She gripped his left hand tight in her right and brushed the dirt away from his face. Those cells were full of filth and he had been laying on them for hours. He expected infection to wreak havoc on the cuts on his back.

 

"Tell me you'll be all right," Nina pleaded, concern evident in her voice. "I would hate for the delightful young man who played with my children to meet a tragic end." She sounded sincere in her words and Sehun felt thankful. "Learn to control your gifts, Sehun." That was a surprise to hear from her. Sehun looked her with wide eyes.

 

"How did you...?"

 

"My mother helped with your birth," she said, flashing him one of her rare smiles.  "She told me she suspected you would take on the gift when you grew older. It was also not difficult to understand. I do not have the gift, but I once knew many people that did, and they were all very good people. You start to notice certain things are off about them after a while. That hair of yours gave me hints, though." She kissed his cheek then and slipped a bottle of something into his hand. "Before you go, have your father rub this into your back and bandage you. It will keep the infection away."

 

Sehun looked down into his palm at the item. It was medicine that he knew, but he had never been able to afford it before. Any similar medicine that he had ever had before was either diluted and less effective, or it had been a gift. He looked back up at Nina, trying to express his gratitude. "Thank you..."

 

She gave him another smile and urged him to go with a gentle push towards the door. "Farewell, Sehun," she said. "I hope one day we can meet again." Then she was heading back to town and Sehun walked the short path to his door. He pushed his way into the house with heavy steps.

 

Upon entering, he took in how things had changed in the few hours he had been gone. Cupboards were open and picked through. Large packs were on the floor with all the essentials. Overturned furniture lay everywhere from someone trying to get at the hidden savings. Sehun's important items, the only two his father allowed him to bring, lay packed with care in the top of his pack. They would leave behind everything else inedible or too thin for winter. This included anything of Taeyeon's that they couldn't use.

 

His father came rushing out of his room only seconds after Sehun had arrived back home. He immediately hugged his son and Sehun was close to screaming from the action. His father let go immediately upon feeling Sehun stiffen in his arms. He opened up Sehun's cloak to see the damage and removed it completely when he saw the blood on Sehun's back. Horror etched every wrinkle in his father's face and it made him look much older than he was.

 

"What have they done to you?" Junseok whispered, looking at his son with wide eyes and a mouth he couldn't keep closed. "Sehun, I'm so sorry."

 

Sehun didn't want to talk about it. "It's not your fault, dad," he whispered. "It could have been worse." It was true. They could have amputated anything, and they hadn't. They could have raped him, and they hadn't. They could have killed him without trial and they hadn't. "But dad..." he added, face devoid of emotions. He didn't know when his powers would come back to him, but he was trying not to let his them get the better of him again. He was a mess of emotion on the inside and he didn't want to cause more trouble. "I can't get dressed by myself. Could you help me."

 

His cheeks dusted with a pink tinge and he lowered his head. He hadn't had to have his father dress him since he was very small. He felt like he was being reduced to a child all over again. But there was no choice. His father understood and took Sehun back to his room to put him into some warm clothes.

 

Gentle hands of a father took care of him. He removed the cloak from Sehun's back and took away the shreds of his old shirt. Then he took the medicine from Sehun and cleaned and dressed the lash wounds on his back with careful hands. He could not prevent every little pain, but Sehun knew that. Junseok helped Sehun dress, and he tried as hard as he could to avoid any serious pains. Sehun had the worst time getting his arms through the sleeves of his travel clothes. But the cloak was much easier to wear now that dressings were on the wounds and a shirt was between the two.

 

Once dressed, his father grabbed a random piece of soft fabric off the table and put Sehun's arm in a sling. It wouldn't do much good, but it would give his arm a place to rest until they could find a doctor to assess it. Sehun had suspicions that amputation was probable. He tried not to think about it.

 

"You have to hurry! People are coming!"

 

Both Sehun and his father jumped at the disembodied voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. They looked around and Sehun's back ached from the slight twisting action. He took a few labored breaths and looked at his father.

 

"Hurry!" the voice pleaded, the urgency evident in its strained tone. "I'm not messing around!"

 

"Who are you?" Junseok called into the house. He ushered Sehun back out into the entrance with rapid steps. Quick hands aided Sehun in placing his pack on his shoulders. Though they were both confused, they seemed to understand the speaker meant well. The voice was not of a malevolent character. It spurred their movements to quicken.

 

"Doesn't matter! You must go! Before they get here!" 

 

Sehun doesn't bother to check for the voice. He is more concerned with getting out before it was too late. But as his father pushes the door open, his rabbit pushes its way past them and back into the woods. Sehun wished he could grab him and take the little white rabbit with them, but there was no time. He couldn't stop it from returning to its old home.

 

The rabbit stopped at the line of trees and waited for them. It turned back to Sehun and his Junseok.

 

"Hurry up!" it said, ears twitching as if in irritation. Sehun froze for a half second before his momentum carried him forward and he stumbled. His rabbit was a magical being. "This way!"

 

The rabbit scampered off into the trees. Sehun and his father exchange a look between them, but there was no time to question what they were seeing. They still weren't frightened by the voice. Its orders to keep moving sounded like genuine concern. So, with nothing to lose, they took off after the rabbit into the woods.

 

Sehun was lucky that nothing had happened to his legs while imprisoned. Keeping up with his rabbit was already not easy and exhaustion was pulling at every muscle. He wouldn't have made it if they had chosen to break his leg. Death at the hand of his pursuers would have been imminent.

 

As soon as they left the property, they ran to the thickest groups of trees where hiding would be easiest. If the rabbit were correct, people would be hot on their trail. Their voices were quiet, they didn't even allow heavy breathing to pass their lips. If it had not have been for their feet pounding through the brush, they would not have made sound. Every jolt in his movement hurt Sehun, but there was nothing he could do. He had to get away. He had to.

 

Distant shouting and cursing met their ears as they ran. No doubt someone had found their house with far less in it than expected. This forced Sehun and his father to quicken their already fast pace. It was easy to understand they had left with only a few moments to spare. Even though Sehun wasn't in any shape for this kind of stress, he kept running. He could rest when he was free. If escape failed, he could rest in the death that would be quick to come to him.

 

"This way!" the rabbit called, and the two men hurried after it as it took a turn to the right. Ten seconds later, it turned to the left and zigzagged back and forth towards the river. Sehun feared the worst as they approached the river, but he feared the now audible barking of dogs more. The river was not at its peak, since it was not spring, but it was already a large river. It usually required a boat to cross and there were no bridges in the immediate area. They were going to be stuck if the rabbit intended for them to cross. Fording it would result in getting swept away. But Sehun and his father continued to run. There was nowhere else to go.

 

Everything in Sehun's body was making simultaneous bids for him to stop and to keep going. He wanted to live, and if he turned back or gave up, he would not have that luxury. So, despite the pain in every muscle and bone of his body, he kept running towards the river.

 

The dogs and their snarling were getting closer. These were hunting dogs, and Sehun could imagine their pursuers mounted on stallions. He could see in his head the large beasts towering over him and knocking him to the ground. He could see the dogs surrounding both him and his father. He could hear orders for attack in Sir Choi's voice. It would all be over far too quick.

 

Ahead of him, the white rabbit switched to the side as soon as the river's edge appeared. He ran along the length of the river, skirting the edge of the rushing waters. All the while, that voice beckoned the two men with calls of urgency to follow. Sehun followed without much thought. His only hopes ran with this rabbit.

 

They ran on, attempting to match the river current. He could still hear dogs barking and howling behind them and they were getting ever closer. Horses at least took longer to make it through the thick forest, but dogs were far more agile. They were closer now than they had been before, but the voices of their handlers were difficult to hear.

 

"They're getting closer! Move faster!" the rabbit cried.

 

"I'm trying!" Sehun gasped, keeping up the pace. "I can't do this much longer!"

 

"If you want to live, you have to!" the rabbit snapped.

 

The rabbit finished speaking as a dog jumped out from the trees. The small white rabbit ducked under the dog and skittered through its legs.  Sehun and Junseok chose to jump to skip past the snarling beast. It was a move that caused Sehun to howl in pain when he landed and drop to his knees on the riverbank. The dog snapped at his ankle and his father was swift to pick up a fallen branch and smacked the dog away.

 

The dog whimpered with the impact and staggered away while Junseok pulled his son to his feet. Sehun was in tears and he couldn't breathe well, but he continued to run like he had before his fall. The riverbank rose into a steep incline before giving way to a cliff where the river had eroded away the rock. They continued on.

 

Soon, more than the one dog had caught up with them, jumping in the path of the rabbit and the two men. The one in front of the rabbit bared its teeth as more dogs came to surround them.

 

Junseok pulled Sehun behind him but kept him close. Sehun could feel the edge of the cliff under his heel and he looked down. The drop at that height wouldn't kill them. It was only about ten feet. It was the rushing waters that made him nervous. He looked back at the four dogs around them and a fifth emerging from the woods to join them.

 

"You should have moved faster!" the rabbit growled, backing up from the teeth that threatened to rip it apart.

 

Neither Sehun nor his father made any reply. They stared down the dogs with a range of different emotions. His father still held up the branch from earlier in defense, but it did not deter the canines. Sehun wondered if his father was going to make an attempt to fight their way out of this.

 

Whatever his father was planning, it seemed to change when a horse came through the forest, a man on its back. It was Sir Choi himself, and he had a bow and a nocked arrow in his hands. It aimed right down Sehun's throat, but Sehun couldn't look away. It hypnotized him with its all too bright feathers and professional carved shaft. It was too beautiful to be a weapon.

 

His father shifted at his side, gripping him tight in his arms, but all Sehun could see was the draw of the bowstring. He could see the muscle in that dreadful man's arm work with minimal effort, staring down his target. He could almost feel the air from the release of fingers on the arrow. Everything moved in slow motion as the arrow shot forward with a faint whistle of air.

 

Then his world tilted.

 

For a split second, Sehun didn't register that the arrow had flown over his head, grazing the hair of his father. They were falling, off the cliff and toward the rushing waters below. Sehun screamed and looked up to see the cliff getting farther and farther away. When they hit the water, the rabbit jumped in after them and Sehun forgot to take a breath.

 

He inhaled water first as the current caught them up and swept them away. His father was quick to pull him to the surface and encouraged him to take a breath. He thumped Sehun's back three times before Sehun's coughs came. Sehun was shivering so hard from the cold waters that it was difficult for him to breathe anyway. He didn't know how his father was keeping it together.

 

"Breathe, boy," he urged as Sehun coughed up what he had inhaled already. The water splashed over them and they could not spot the rabbit anywhere.

 

All thoughts of the rabbit disappeared when an arrow landed in the water next to them. Sehun looked up and saw Sir Choi on the riverbank, on his horse that galloped over the cliffside. Sehun's father gasped and tried to swim, pulling Sehun's heavy weight with him. They needed to get out of range until the river could sweep them away.

 

They were already gaining distance. Every rock or tree that sat on the cliff was an obstacle for the stallion to avoid. Everything cost Sir Choi a few feet at a time. But while he could, more arrows rained down on Sehun and his father. Sehun considers it a miracle that nothing hit. 

 

When the arrows started to fall short, Sehun and his father tried to breathe a little easier. But they could not relax for very long. The water still churned with violent currents around them and it was tossing them to and fro. Sehun was still glad to see Sir Choi give up, halting his steed when his arrows no longer reached their target.

 

Their momentary celebration would come to an end when they crashed into a rock. Sehun screamed at the pain that shot through him. The little sling his arm was in was not meant to protect his arm from blows such as this. He slipped from his father's grasp.

 

"Sehun!" Junseok shouted, trying to swim after his son with a desperation Sehun had never seen in him before. "Swim, Sehun!"

 

But the water took away any control Sehun had over his body. It tossed him and turned him in its current until he was nothing but a piece of driftwood on its way downstream. He tried to keep his head above water, but swimming with one arm was difficult. He kept sinking and rolling with the current. An attempt to scream only resulted in water filling his mouth and his father couldn't reach him.

 

He got farther and farther downstream. He couldn't breathe and there was so much fear and before he knew it, he was losing consciousness from a lack of air.

 

"Swim, Sehun!" But Sehun couldn't. He couldn't breathe. He gave up and let the water carry him under.


	4. Chapter 4

When Sehun woke again, he didn't expect to be alive. He expected to be at the bottom of the river or to remain in the dark forever. He might see if the afterlife did exist. If it did, he might have seen his mother. At least, if he were die, he hoped she would be the one to guide him on. He missed her.

 

Instead, Sehun opened his eyes to the sight of wooden planks above him and a rolling current below. He looked around from his place on his back and wondered where he was. It was clear that he was on a boat, but a boat to where? And who had hauled him on board?

 

There was a young man hovering next to him, and gentle hands pressing into his destroyed arm. The touches yielded both pain and relief wherever they went; it made Sehun itch for movement. He wasn't able to get a great view of the man from where he was lying, but he seemed to be wearing a stern expression. Whatever he was doing to Sehun, it required some concentration.

 

Out of curiosity, Sehun looked down to the hands tending to his arm. His eyes widened when he noticed the man's fingers glowing with a warm green light. In his surprise, he tried to bolt upright. As soon as he made a move, a single finger pressed to his forehead and pushed him back down.

 

"Don't move," a deep voice ordered. It belonged to the young man, but somehow Sehun didn't expect it from someone with such a slight frame. "You'll ruin everything I've done to save your arm."

 

The finger remained firm against his forehead until Sehun relaxed. He laid back against the bed with a quiet breath. 

 

 "I worked on your back, first," the young man said by way of conversation. It was at this point Sehun realized how comfortable he was despite laying on his back. This man was using healing magic. Sehun wouldn't have been able to do that otherwise. But could he save Sehun's arm? That was still in question. "Those were some nasty cuts you had. You suffered a whipping recently." The man stated it as fact rather than a question. Sehun didn't deny it, but he didn't confirm it either. He chose to stay quiet.

 

 As Sehun felt the rocking of the boat beneath him, he made the full realization that he must have made it to the sea. This boat could be one of a couple things, but he believed it likely that it was a trader's route he had wound up on.

 

"Where am I?" he questioned, voice cracking from the amounts of water he had ingested before passing out. A question passed through his head about whether he had needed resuscitation or not. Not that it mattered. He was alive and that was the only important thing.

 

"You are on board a guard's boat," the man answered. "I am someone who sometimes asks for passage. You are lucky I was here this time. Not one of the idiots on this ship does well with healing."

 

"Where is this boat headed?" Sehun asked, fearing the answer. He kept his eyes on the ceiling to try to find something to distract himself.

 

"Eriand," the person said. That name sent a flood of relief through Sehun's every muscle. He felt it deep his bruises and gashes and felt it in the throb of his broken bones. He would have cried if he were alone. He would have to keep it to himself for now.

 

Then the stranger finally leaned over Sehun and Sehun was able to take in his whole face for the first time. The young man had wide eyes and plush lips that quirked into a smirk. Sehun wasn't sure if he was taunting him, but those eyes were full of mirth.

 

"I see that was an answer you wanted," he chuckled. Then he brushed the hair from Sehun's forehead, a soothing gesture. The expression on his face dimmed to one that spoke of bad news. "But it doesn't matter, now. You are in no shape to travel beyond this boat."

 

"I have to go to Eriand, though!" Sehun responded, the urgency was thick in his voice. He again attempted to get up, and again the stranger pushed him back down to the bed. Sehun felt so useless like this. A little trapped, too. But this feeling of confinement was different from being in a prison cell. That didn't mean he appreciated it any more.

 

"We know," the stranger said, irritation evident in his short words. He didn't appear to have much patience for nonsense. "Your friend informed us of that when we found the two of you. Now sit still."

 

"There was someone with me?" Sehun asked, still not laying completely still. It must have been his father. That revelation made him want to get up again. He needed to see him.

 

"How else would you have managed a trip down the river without drowning?" the man asked with a sigh of annoyance. "You were lucky he was there and in a much better state than you."

 

"I suppose you're right," Sehun muttered. It had to have been his father. He found a way to get to Sehun in time before he drowned. "Where is he?" Sehun finally asked. "I'd like to see him."

 

"Then I'll go get him." The stranger grunted, standing and turning away from Sehun. Then he paused for a moment and turned back to give Sehun a stern glare. "Stay put and don't move around. I mean it."

 

Sehun gave him a slow nod and waited where he was. Then the man was gone and Sehun could only sigh to himself while he waited. He didn't have long to wait, though. Not even a minute had passed before two people showed up in the room. One was the man returning, and the other was definitely not his father. Sehun felt the disappointment eat at his hope and feed his worry.

 

"It's about time you woke up," the newcomer griped. He was somewhat tall, or that perception might stem from the fact that he was standing over Sehun. He had a pretty face, with an almost tired or bored look burned into his features. That too might be a misconception since he didn't appear to be in a good mood. Sehun didn't want to ask him who he was when he was so irritable. "You owe me for jumping into that river after you." That voice was so familiar. But Sehun had only heard it a handful of times and only in the last day or so.

 

"You're my rabbit..." Sehun breathed when the realization hit him. This was the voice that had guided him and his father away from their old home. Though, now Sehun is wondering if they were better off leaving or staying. They could have killed him and his father, but the state Sehun was in wasn't a whole lot better in his opinion. At least not right now. And it was becoming clear that his father was not on this boat, so, where was he?

 

"Indeed, I am," the man said with a slight, forced smile. "And I've been watching you since the day you found me in the forest. But you get yourself into quite a bit of trouble. I'm wondering what my master can see in you."

 

"I-I don't understand," Sehun said, looking between the two strangers. They didn't appear to mean any ill will, but Sir Choi had appeared pleasant enough when Sehun was a child. Sehun didn't like not knowing where he was or who he was with. It put him on edge these days. "Who are you two? What master?"

 

"I am an earth mage who happened to be on this ship," the first stranger answered, seating himself back at Sehun's side. He placed gentle hands back on Sehun's arms and again his fingers began to glow with magic. The pain and relief came again and Sehun winced. "My name is Kyungsoo. And the both of you are very strange."

 

"And for someone so young, you talk like an old man," the rabbit man snapped at Kyungsoo. Then he looked back to Sehun. "I'm Yixing. That's all you need to know right now."

 

"Then if you won't answer anything else, at least tell me where my father is," Sehun pleaded. Kyungsoo's fingers took another painful dive into the cracks of his bones and he tried to pull his arm away. Kyungsoo's hand clamped down a little harder to discourage Sehun's moving.

 

"I'm telling you, you need to stop moving," Kyungsoo gritted out.

 

Yixing bit his lip at Sehun's request, ignoring Kyungsoo's complaints. When Sehun stopped moving with a pained whimper, Kyungsoo side eyed the rabbit man. It was as if he was searching to see if there was information that Yixing hadn't shared with him. Sehun shifted his gaze to Yixing as well a few moments later. He was still waiting for an answer after all. Yixing knew he wouldn't be letting this go, so he needed to answer.

 

"We came to a fork in the river not long after the two of you got separated," Yixing finally replied. "I transformed to this human form to pull you above the water. The current pulled your father down one fork and we went down the one leading to the ocean the quickest."

 

"Where did he go?" Sehun gasped, trying again to sit up. Again. Kyungsoo forced him back down. He was getting less and less gentle with every jab at his patience. This last one brought the sting of the still healing gashes on his back.

 

"Sit still, you idiot!" Kyungsoo hissed. "Need I remind you I am an earth mage and not a true healer? This one was able to do some knitting of bone," he said, indicating Yixing with a dismissive wave. "I can only dull your pain and set bones back in place. You are lucky you have use of your arm at all. Any movement could ruin the work we have done."

 

"Okay, I'm sorry," Sehun whined, relaxing one more time into the bed. Everything in him wanted to move and get up right now. He could feel himself getting worked up. "But I need to know where my father is!"

 

"We don't know," Yixing admitted. "He went towards the boarder. The river always makes its way to the ocean at some point, but his trek is much longer. That means he could have gotten out early to go look for you."

 

"So, you have no idea where he could be?" Sehun asked, eyes watery and frown hard on his face. The emotions were swirling again inside of him and Sehun could tell his powers were back to normal. How long had he been unconscious? "He could be dead!"

 

"That, I can tell you, is not the case," Yixing assured, making a quick approach to Sehun's side. Sehun suspected that living with him for the period of time Yixing had made him aware of Sehun's mood. He pressed a comforting hand to the space above Sehun's knee. But Sehun felt anything but comforted. He didn't want anyone to touch him right now. But before he could voice that wish, Yixing was speaking again. "Before you separated, your father was in good health and a better swimmer than you."

 

"They broke my arm!"

 

"He also managed to get away from the nobleman and hunters. And as he always reminded you, he was the one who taught you to hunt and forage in the first place." Yixing was quick to point all these things out and it calmed Sehun a little. Yixing had been paying attention the whole time. But Sehun still wished he could know for certain that it was true. "Your father is still alive."

 

"I hope so," Sehun whispered, falling silent as the boat rocked slow and gentle beneath them. He turned his head to Kyungsoo, being careful to not move too much. He didn't want Kyungsoo's scolding. He looked like he might snap if Sehun pushed it too much. "How long do I have to stay like this?" he asked.

 

"When I finish this session, you can do as you wish," Kyungsoo answered, again pressing into Sehun's arm. His fingers always seemed to find the places that hurt the most. He had said something about setting bone back in place. It was possible that he was moving fractured pieces back into position to the best of his ability. Sehun also had suspicions that Kyungsoo knew more about healing than he let on. "All you have to do is be sure you don't use your injured arm. If you need to lift anything requiring two hands, you have to get someone to help you." 

 

"So, I'm useless until my arm heals enough to lift things," Sehun concluded. Another dig of fingers brought tears to his eyes and he stiffened from the pain. But then the same flood of relief that came with magic moved through his veins. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

 

"Yes," Kyungsoo said with a nod. "Though, you should be grateful for that. Any lifting or bending might tear open the new scabs on your back."

 

Sehun tried to imagine what his back looked like right about now. All he could imagine was a maze of raised skin and new scar tissue forming. There would be evidence of suffering for years to come. The scabs would fall off and the redness would fade in time, but it didn't comfort Sehun in the least. It wouldn't be enough suffering to compensate for Taeyeon.

 

"Will I be able to enter Eriand?" he asked.

 

"Well, they might have a few questions for you," Kyungsoo answered. "They might think you an escaped slave. And slavery is still very much legal in Nimrine and Eriand. So, they would have to return you. But if you weren't a slave, then they'll ask what crime you committed to deserve a whipping."

 

"I'm not a runaway slave," Sehun defended right away.

 

"So Yixing has told us," Kyungsoo muttered. "But, then, what did you do?"

 

"I protected myself with magic," Sehun said, looking away. He was on the way to Eriand, and Kyungsoo had admitted his aptitude for earth magics. Sehun shouldn't feel worried or judged. But all his life, someone in one place or another had told him his gift needed to remain a secret. He looked at his hands as if the magic would burst from it without him calling it. It would take a long time for him to readjust his thinking and think himself normal again.

 

"That explains a lot,” Kyungsoo sighed. Sehun looked at him then with disbelief. Kyungsoo only gave him a weak smile. "I have more questions about how you ended up there, but Yixing has told me some of those questions are personal. The laws in Nimrine belong to an age older than you. I'd wager it was around the time you were born the harsher ones went into effect. I can imagine it must have been hard for you to keep your gifts a secret."

 

Sehun nodded, a blank expression coming over his face. "I can't control them well," he added. "They come and go with my emotions. I was in danger and frightened when I let them go. I ended up feeling grateful that the guards made me eat the magic numbing herbs. I would have let go of my powers again during torture if they had not."

 

Kyungsoo nodded and his fingers left Sehun's arm at long last. Then he turned to Yixing. "Go find the captain and see if he can spare you a moment or two," he said in a gentle tone. "We will need to borrow one of his men while on this voyage. Ask for Jongdae."

 

Yixing seemed to know immediately where this was going and hurried off. When he was gone, Kyungsoo placed a careful hand under Sehun's shoulders and helped him to sit up. Everything ached, but Kyungsoo had dulled all his pains and made everything tolerable.

 

He still felt cold from the river, but someone had replaced his drenched clothes before he woke. His eyes found his cloak on a hook near the door to the upper deck. It was close to being dry now. That was at least some kind of sign of how long he had been out. Sehun had been out for a while. But it couldn't have been more than two days. Sehun felt a phantom chill run up his spine.

 

"So, what exactly is the nature of your gift?" Kyungsoo asked as he helped Sehun get feeling back in his legs. Being laid down for so long, his feet had fallen asleep and he couldn't move his broken arm at all. He felt pretty stiff.

 

"The wind," Sehun answered. Then without thinking, he added, "Like my mother, but not like her at all."

 

"You gained your magical affinity from her," Kyungsoo hummed. "Why didn't she teach you?" Sehun made a face, a frown settling into his features. Kyungsoo couldn't have known this was a sensitive topic for him, but he was angry all the same. The wind shifted in the room, dislodging dust, but that was about it.

 

"She's dead."

 

Kyungsoo's hands paused for a moment before continuing to knead Sehun's stiff muscles. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I guess this is part of the private questions I'm not supposed to ask. I didn't know."

 

Sehun felt his anger ebb and he relaxed again. The wind quieted and rested again. He didn't supply more detail and Kyungsoo didn't ask for more. That particular part of the conversation died there.

 

"Jongdae can help you," Kyungsoo said, moving on from the blunder. "He is a royal guard on this ship, during his training, he learned to understand magic of all kinds. Though his personal affinity is for lightning, he can help you channel what you have. It will be easier to control, then, and you won't get yourself in so much trouble."

 

When he was ready to have Sehun stand, he held onto Sehun's waist and pulled him forward and up. "Keep your back straight. It'll hurt less." Sehun did as told and took a breath of relief when he was standing again. But it was at this point that he realized he had a splint all the way up his arm. Kyungsoo was even fashioning a sling for him. Sehun blinked a few times at the material. It was the same makeshift sling his father had given him before their escape. He couldn't fathom how it had made it down the river with him, but it was being fastened by more adept hands this time.

 

Aside from his arm, Sehun's attention was again called to his back. It didn't hurt, but he could feel the bandages wrapped around him shifting with every movement. Keeping his back straight did help, but the drag of the wrappings would irritate him to no end if he had to walk very far.

 

"This is uncomfortable," he grumbled.

 

"No one said healing was easy," Kyungsoo responded, making sure Sehun was stable on his feet. Then he stepped away. "But changing your bandages will be easy. For the most part, they're there to catch any blood from cracking scabs and to protect the wounds. Take a few steps forward, please."

 

Sehun did and felt himself wobble on his feet at first before normalizing again. Kyungsoo looked pleased. Sehun moved on to walking the length of the room when Yixing returned with a man in light armor. Sehun's steps paused and he looked over at the man. Kyungsoo's attention was also diverted.

 

The new arrival wasn't very tall, but he seemed to carry himself with confidence. In such a situation, he was actually very calm, and it was clear he wasn't headed for war. Sehun had never met a knight of any court, but he knew such high status mandated a certain personal standard.

 

Sehun wasn't very trusting of this guy right off the bat. After all, Sir Choi had once been a knight before earning his title. Typical knights were righteous and good, but some horrid souls made it through the cracks. Sehun wondered if this one walked the straight and narrow even when no one was looking.

 

"That prince needs to reign in his frustration," Yixing hissed as he stomped into the room. The knight behind him looked a little amused by this remark and patted Yixing on the back.

 

"Be patient with my prince, please," he hummed. "There's been a long string of disappointments these past few weeks."

 

Yixing gave him a grumble of dissatisfaction, but he said nothing else. Then his eyes turned up to look at Sehun. The smile that crossed his face was disarming and it caused Sehun to feel off kilter. That also could have been the waves rocking the boat. Either way, Sehun took a seat on the bed again to keep himself from falling over.

 

"Wow, Kyungsoo," he marveled, going to get a closer look at Sehun. He got right up in his face and examined his features before he gave him another all too pleasant smile. Then he turned to look at Kyungsoo but gave Sehun no more space. "I didn't think you could do it. He looks much better than the waterlogged rat we pulled from the sea."

 

"Hey!" Sehun shouted, shooting to his feet and stomping in aggravation. That seemed to be a bad move because it caused his back pain. He moaned and then yelped when Kyungsoo smacked him on the back of the head. The knight seemed to find this funny enough to laugh at him as he backed up out of Sehun's personal space.

 

"Quit whining," Kyungsoo grunted in Sehun's direction. Then he took Sehun's good arm and pulled him forward to stand in front of the knight. "Sehun, this is Jongdae. Jongdae, this is Sehun."

 

It was then that Sehun realized he hadn't ever actually informed Kyungsoo of his name. But it didn't take long for Sehun to look over at Yixing who was staring at him with a blank expression. He must have told them.

 

This was going to be a little strange for a while. He used to feed Yixing and treat him like a pet. To find out that he was very human meant that someone got a very intimate view into his life. It would be more of a problem for himself than anyone else, but he hoped Yixing was good at keeping his mouth shut. His secrets were his own to tell.

 

"Are you sure he's okay to do magic?" Jongdae asked Kyungsoo. Sehun jumped at that and he returned to the conversation.

 

"As long as he doesn't use his broken arm or make unnecessary movements, he should be fine," Kyungsoo assured. "And when I need to work on his wounds more, you let him go."

 

"Alright. Then I'll teach him," Jongdae agreed. With that statement, he flashed Sehun a bright toothy smile. It was rather inviting and Sehun almost felt safe with him as a result. "I'm Jongdae," he greeted, reintroducing himself. Then he held out his right hand to take Sehun's.

 

It was only a moment more before he remembered that Sehun had no use of his right arm at the current moment. Not that Sehun wanted to shake his hand anyway. That smile did a lot of things to confuse his brain, but Sehun still didn't want anyone to touch him. Jongdae retracted his hand after an awkward moment of standing there. Sehun wondered if he remembered because of the deathly glare Kyungsoo was giving him. It might also have been a sudden recollection based on the sling. Instead, Jongdae changed his mind and wrapped his hand around the back of Sehun's neck. The knight brought him in for a light touch between their foreheads. 

 

"Welcome to the lands of free magic, brother," he said, voice gentle. Then he pulled back and released Sehun. "Now let's get you on deck and get star-"

 

Sehun was already running past Jongdae as a strong wave of nausea swept through him. His legs wobbled with uncertainty and weakness, but he needed to get to the upper deck quick. He did not want to vomit all over the floor.

 

He stumbled up the steps toward the bright sunlight and hurried to the edge of the ship. He threw himself towards the starboard side of the boat and let his stomach do the rest. His body jerked with the effort of the heaves and such movements irritated his back. The sailors around him laughed, thinking it funny that their passenger was seasick.

 

Sehun didn't find it funny at all. He felt horrible and he was already miserable and in pain. He threw up again, something consisting of a lot of bile, and then his stomach finally settled. Someone thumped him on the back a few times and he shrieked from the pain.

 

"Don't fucking touch me!" he cried, the cuts on his back throbbing from the contact. He already feared some may have reopened from the physical exertion of running here. The only way he could think that they would feel any worse was to rub salt in them.

 

"Whoa!" Jongdae's voice came. "Sorry. Forgot about those." Then he stood at Sehun's side and leaned against the railing. "Feeling better? You move pretty quick."

 

"No," Sehun spat, shrinking away from Jongdae to remove the temptation to touch again. He felt dizzy and a little lightheaded and he only had one hand to support himself on the railing. "Pretty sure I tore some of those open again." he grumbled, resisting the temptation to let go of the railing to scratch at his back.

 

The bigger annoyance was that he didn't know where all this had come from. He had been feeling fine before only moments before. Sehun supposed laying down and standing on a boat might be completely different. He hadn't ever been on a boat before, so he couldn't be sure.

 

"Well, then let's talk a little bit and you can stay here until you feel better, yeah?" Jongdae suggested. Sehun seemed to be okay with that idea, even as he leaned over the side to upchuck. "What is your gift?" Jongdae asked, continuing on like nothing happened. "Yixing tells me you need help learning to control it."

 

"Wind," Sehun answered shortly after recovering. "Grew up in Nimrine. Couldn't use it." He felt bile rise again in his throat, but he swallowed it down. He leaned down to rest his head on the railing with resignation. Even if his stomach settled again, the nausea would come back.

 

"That explains so much," Jongdae sighed. Then he pushed away from the railing and closed the distance between them again. "Poor kid," he muttered, ruffling Sehun's hair.

 

Sehun batted the hand away from him and fixed Jongdae with a stiff expression. "I'm not five," he growled.

 

Jongdae laughed and pulled his hand away, but his movement came to an abrupt halt. Jongdae's hand hung in the air and his eyes narrowed as he looked at Sehun.

 

"What?" Sehun questioned, not liking that look. 

 

"Stay still for a moment," Jongdae told him. Then he placed his hand next to Sehun's and waited. He stared with such intent that Sehun couldn't help but stare as well. He didn't know what he was looking for, but it made itself known soon enough.

 

A crackle of electricity jumped from Sehun's hand to Jongdae's hand. It looked like a lightning strike in the sky but much smaller. Jongdae didn't appear bothered by the electricity in general, but Sehun felt a strong shock.

 

"Ow!" Sehun cried, yanking his hand back. But as he moved, he felt his body relax as if a significant amount of tension decided to drain away. He collapsed to the floor, taking deep breaths.

 

 "You've got another problem it seems," Jongdae finally voiced, crouching.

 

"What other problem?" Sehun groaned. "What is this?"

 

"Kid, you're radiating with electricity right now," Jongdae told him. "Can't you tell? It hurts, right? You need to discharge."

 

Sehun hadn't noticed until it became a problem. He was already in pain, so nothing else seemed to bother him too much. Now he was finding it difficult to breathe and all that released tension was returning. "What's happening to me?"

 

"Sehun listen to me," Jongdae said, voice firm as he gripped Sehun by his shoulders. He only had part of Sehun's attention. Sehun was more concerned with the tiny columns of electricity. They made their way up Jongdae's arms from where he touched Sehun. But this was Jongdae's element and he took it all in without complaint. "You are having an awakening of some kind. I don't know why, but it's wild magic. You need to tame it before it hurts you."

 

"What the hell does that even mean?" Sehun questioned.

 

"It means exactly what it sounds like," Jongdae snapped, the urgency coming quick to his tone. "Close your eyes for a minute and concentrate." With great reluctance, Sehun did as told and closed his eyes. Jongdae's arms never left his shoulders. He wondered if that was for continued discharge while he got whatever this was under control. How was he going to do that, though? He didn't know what he needed to concentrate on.

 

"I don't know what I'm looking for..." he said, voice soft and hesitant.

 

"Think about your wind powers," Jongdae instructed. "They feel familiar, right?"

 

Sehun felt around for a little while before he felt the familiar flow of the wind. But he hadn't ever experienced it like this before. He had only ever known it in sudden bursts of energy that he couldn't control. This was almost like a gentle presence and it was still familiar, though strange at the same time. He nodded in response to Jongdae.

 

"Then look nearby," Jongdae's voice came to him. "You might find a second energy that you don't know. That will be the electricity."

 

Sehun moved away from the calming presence of the wind and looked around in his head again. He was about to ask what he was looking for, but second presence made itself known. With a jolt of power, Sehun fell back against the deck, Jongdae's hands falling from his shoulders. Sehun tried to touch the cloud as he had done with the wind, but it burned, it was loud, and it was too bright for him to take.

 

"Sehun!"

 

Someone was calling him, but he couldn't respond. He was still transfixed by that presence that was still foreign and he didn't like it.

 

"Sehun! Don't fight it!"

 

But Sehun wasn't fighting it. At least, he didn't think he was.

 

"Accept it! It's your power!"

 

It wasn't, though, and Sehun wanted it gone. He screamed, and it screamed back until his screaming became greater than the thunder.

 

When his eyes finally snapped open, Sehun was laying down on the deck of the ship. A small crowd of disquieted sailors looked on, but Sehun's eyes could only stare at one person.

 

A regal looking man stood over him, hand to Sehun's forehead. His eyes were stern, but there were traces of worry in them. Jongdae looking down at Sehun from the man's side, brow furrowed, eyes wide, and lips parted. Yixing and Kyungsoo had stood a little farther away, concerned but not wanting to be in the way.

 

"Sehun, can you hear me?" Jongdae questioned, shaking Sehun's shoulders a little. "Sehun, please answer me."

 

"What happened to me?" Sehun finally asked, words almost inaudible. But that was enough. The tension in the crowd of people dissipated and the crew started to walk away in relief. The regal figure leaned back and removed his hand from Sehun's forehead.

 

"I put your power to rest until you wish to call on it," the regal figure told him. "Come speak to me when you have recovered." Then the man stood and walked away, tall and confident in his stride.

 

 Jongdae stayed where he was over Sehun checking for any stray electricity. Kyungsoo knelt next to him to check on Sehun's bones. Then he rolled him over and pulled up his shirt to check his bandages. Kyungsoo clicked his tongue in irritation. That likely meant there were blood patches making themselves known on his back.

 

"That was the Crown Prince," Jongdae told Sehun while Kyungsoo addressed the gashes. "Crown Prince Yifan. He has the gift of a strong will. He can only exert that will on a few things, but magic is one of them."

 

Sehun didn't respond. He was more interested in what the Crown Prince needed from him. Why did he need to speak with him?

 

Jongdae looked up at Kyungsoo. "What do you know of magic that decides it's going to awaken late?" he asked.

 

"Not much," Kyungsoo answered. He looked to Yixing who appeared to be thinking hard on something.

 

"My master sent me to Sehun without telling me why," he told the three of them. "He said Sehun was special. I'm assuming this is part of it." He bent down to Sehun's side and the three of them helped him up again. "You gave us all a scare though. You were shaking as if you were having a seizure. We thought you were dying."

 

"I felt like I was dying," he admitted. "I thought my ears were going to explode and my skin was going to burn away. But somehow, I'm fine. Or, not any worse than I was before."

 

"And you're not a walking lightning rod anymore," Jongdae noted. He placed his hand near Sehun like he had done before, but nothing happened. No electricity jumped between them.

 

"Does this mean I can ignore it?" Sehun asked, hopeful. Now that he knew where to look, he could still feel the presence of the lighting inside him. The little cloud of power was asleep for the moment, but it would not stay that way forever. It frightened him.

 

"No," came Jongdae's firm response. "But we can move to your wind abilities first. They will be easier for you to understand than lightning because they are so familiar. First, let's get you something easy on the stomach to eat. We don't want you throwing up again and you haven't eaten since you got here. When you've eaten, you can go see my prince."

 

Sehun gave him a slow nod. He hadn't eaten since before leaving for shopping with Taeyeon. In fact, most of what he had been throwing up was bile and not much else. Though his stomach was still upset, it was making angry growls at him. Sehun followed behind Jongdae as he led him to the galley to get some food.

 

After getting some food in him, Jongdae excused him to go speak with the prince. Sehun took the directions to Prince Yifan's office and made his way there at his own pace. He was procrastinating, but it was an order from a royal, so he could not decline. And if Prince Yifan needed to speak with someone of such low status, it must be important.

 

The office was not difficult to find. It was also the living quarters of the prince and everyone was able to point him in the right direction. Coming to the door of the office, Sehun reached up with his left hand to knock. But he heard two people talking and he hesitated.

 

He couldn't hear what they were saying, and he wasn't interested in knowing. He thought it was ruder to interrupt a conversation. And it sounded like a very pleasant conversation. It didn't have the tone of dark topics. In fact, Sehun was pretty sure he ever heard a bit of whining in the tone of the second person. Prince Yifan always seemed to answer with calm or amusement. The only curiosity that Sehun held was a question of who the second person was.

 

Sehun finally knocked. The chatter quieted and Sehun felt it best to announce himself. "Your Highness," he tried, unfamiliar with speaking to nobility quite like this. "It is Sehun. You asked me to come see you?"

 

There were a few quiet words spoken that Sehun couldn't hear. He assumed they were for the second person in the room. Then there was a much clearer invitation to come into the room.

 

Sehun opened the door with a turn of the knob and push. The room was large, and covered in finery belonging to a sailing noble. But for now, Sehun was more concerned with the space occupying Prince Yifan's desk.

 

The prince himself was sitting at the desk, looking at him with kind, though serious eyes. Next to him, another tall, thin man stood. He had a mop of red hair that looked untamed, and his appearance was much humbler than the prince he stood next to. 

 

Sehun makes to go into a formal bow, but Prince Yifan holds up a hand to stop him. "I know of your injuries," he said. "I'll let formalities slide this time. Please take a seat."

 

"Yes, Your Highness," Sehun agreed. He took his seat in the chair in front of desk. The stranger smiled at him from where he leaned against the prince's desk. He was a very casual person, it seemed, and Sehun still wondered who he was to the prince.

 

"This is Chanyeol, a trusted friend," Prince Yifan said, indicating the stranger. Chanyeol raised his hand in a friendly wave. Then Yifan turned to Chanyeol and introduced him to Sehun as well. Sehun gave him an awkward wave in return. "Thank you for your time."

 

"You're making him nervous, Yifan," Chanyeol said with a chuckle. "Get to the point."

 

"I'll get there," Yifan assured him, looking over at him, not at all irritated by the lack of respect. Then he returned his gaze to Sehun. "You're not in trouble," he said, soothing Sehun's worries. "I only wanted to be sure no one gets hurt, and I'm willing to offer help.

 

"I don't understand," Sehun said.

 

"That's understandable," Prince Yifan hummed. "But it can't stay that way."

 

"From what I have heard," Chanyeol began, "you grew up in a hostile environment." He stood up straight for the first time since Sehun entered and stepped in front of the desk. Sehun flinched like he was afraid of being too close. Chanyeol paused in his movements and settled by the front of the desk. "Is that accurate?"

 

"Yes..." Sehun answered. These people made him nervous, and it wasn't the power alone that they held. He didn't like nobles. He didn't trust them as far as he could throw them and on this boat, they surrounded him. He was stuck with them.

 

"You never learned proper control," Prince Yifan added. "And now you have another gift you don't know how to use. I know that Jongdae is willing to teach you what he can, and that is wonderful. I am only asking that you accept the help with grace and work hard."

 

"Wild magic is dangerous," Chanyeol continued.

 

"I am aware of that," Sehun bit back, keeping his head low.

 

"Then you know why I'm worried," Prince Yifan said. "People I care for work this ship. More than that, I am taking you to my father's kingdom where your magic can become the blessing it is. But if you can't control it, you will put my people in danger."

 

"I know," Sehun whispered.

 

"As you have seen," Prince Yifan continued, "I can call your magic under control if I have to. But I will not be with you upon leaving this ship." He turned his attention to Chanyeol then. "Please show him."

 

Those three words confused Sehun, but Chanyeol seemed to know what they meant. He reached into a pocket on the inside of his red cloak and produced a small pouch. He approached Sehun again, slower this time, so that he could hand it to him. Sehun was grateful for the attention to his comfort and took the little pouch.

 

He opened it up and a small bracelet of twine and black beads fell into his palm. It looked like an ordinary bracelet, but there were symbols etched into the beads. Something told Sehun this was more than a poor man's bit of jewelry. He looked up at Prince Yifan for confirmation. Chanyeol was the one to explain.

 

"This is a magical item," he told Sehun. "It will restrain your powers if you ever find you can't control them."

 

Prince Yifan nodded. "This is a kinder version of a magical item that we use to restrain prisoners that have magic," he informed Sehun. "But for you and people like you, it is a great tool until you have complete control of yourself. Tie it around your wrist if you feel your magic slipping and your powers will go to sleep."

 

"Be prepared to feel discomfort," Chanyeol added, raising a finger as he spoke. "The presence of your magic is something you are familiar with and almost don't notice. But when you use this tool, it could feel like it has disappeared completely. Keep calm. You can remove the item anytime you wish."

 

Sehun nodded and looked down at the little bracelet. He pushed it back into its little pouch and kept it folded in his palm. "I'll work hard," he promised. "I don't want to hurt anyone either." Then a small, happy smile graced his lips. "Besides, I've waited years to learn how to play with the wind. I'm nervous, but I'm excited."

 

Prince Yifan's lips twitched upward in the ghost of a smile. "Then you may go," he said with a slow, graceful wave of a hand. "Don't work so hard that you injure yourself further. The health of the individual comes first."

 

Sehun again nodded and stood from his seat. He stepped back, putting distance between himself and Chanyeol who had remained close. He made a small bow even though Prince Yifan had told him it was all right to not do so. "Thank you for the help, Your Highness," he said. Then he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

 

Sehun went back to Jongdae as soon as he finished speaking with the prince. Sehun was a little disappointed when he realized Kyungsoo wouldn't condone practice today. Not after what happened earlier. He insisted on rest and another session working on his bones.

 

"I'm fine," Sehun muttered.

 

Kyungsoo dug his fingers into a particularly tender spot and it caused Sehun to whimper.

 

"Fine my ass," Kyungsoo hissed. "Now quit whining."

 

Yixing sat on Sehun's other side, reaching across him to work some more powerful spells. Sehun was glad he had been asleep for the first few times they had worked on his arm. Feeling the magic flow through him and into his shattered bones was a strange sensation. It made him want to twitch and move away from the touch. The only thing keeping him still was the knowledge that Kyungsoo would hit him, injured or not.

 

He sighed and let them do what they must. He tried to focus on other things that were not the pain. Jongdae had promised him they would start training tomorrow morning. The beginning would even be easy. Sehun was still very nervous and worried, but clutching the little pouch made him feel safe.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Sehun woke up to Yixing's urging for him to submit to another session on his bones. Sehun hesitated. He didn't want to feel that pain again, but he knew he needed to. He rolled onto his back and gave his arm to Yixing. Kyungsoo showed up a few minutes later, yawning and rubbing the grit from his eyes. He sat next to Yixing and his fingers dug back into Sehun's arm.

 

"Fuck!" Sehun cursed, flinching back from the touch. Kyungsoo had found a very painful spot this time around and Sehun didn't want him touching it. It was unfortunate for Sehun that Kyungsoo refused to let go.

 

"I know it hurts," Kyungsoo said, voice soft and comforting as he kept his fingers in the painful area. "But it'll feel better in a minute. Bare it a little longer."

 

Sehun nodded, but this was worse than the tender spots Kyungsoo had found before. This rivaled the pain of having his bones smashed all over again. As it turned out, that thought was dangerous. Kyungsoo's fingers worked fast. While they worked, they glowed a green light to administer some pain relief, but it wasn't enough. Sehun screamed and the wind picked up. But it wasn't the wind on its own. Sehun's body started to radiate with crackling electricity.

 

"Back away," Yixing urged, pulling Kyungsoo back from Sehun. Yixing stayed where he was at Sehun's side. Sehun closed his eyes tight and tried to catch control of his power like he always did. But he hadn't started his training with Jongdae, yet. As always, he couldn't call his gift under control and he began to panic.

 

"Pouch..." he said, a shock of electricity running through him. He stiffened at the currents and his body arched off the bed. The wind started to grow violent, whipping Yixing's and Kyungsoo's hair in their faces.

 

Yixing didn't look away from Sehun, but he knew what Sehun was trying to say. After all, Sehun had placed the pouch next to his pillow. But in his current state, he couldn't reach it himself. Yixing reached for the little pouch, not breaking his gaze. He opened it up and emptied it of the single item it contained and finally looked away from Sehun.

 

He seemed to examine the item for a few seconds. But it seemed to dawn on Yixing what the item was a short time later. He reached forward with the little bracelet and was quick to wind it around Sehun's wrist. When he tied it off, everything seemed to go still.

 

As Prince Yifan and Chanyeol had told him, Sehun felt the discomfort. His body relaxed, but his mind began racing faster than it ever had. All the winds and breezes fell silent around him as his power stopped raging out of control. His body's state of relaxation seemed to dissolve as his thoughts jumped everywhere.

 

Kyungsoo, now that the wind had died, was back at Sehun's side. He leaned over him as Yixing placed a hand on Sehun's forehead.

 

"Calm down," Kyungsoo whispered, trying not to startle Sehun much more. "You're okay."

 

Sehun felt Yixing's grow warmer on his forehead and a wave of sleepiness swept over him.

 

"What are you doing?" Kyungsoo asked, looking to Yixing.

 

"Putting him back to sleep for a little bit," Yixing answered, not looking away from Sehun. "Rest a little more, Sehun. We will finish while you are asleep."

 

That was at least a relief for Sehun to hear. Whatever Yixing was doing to him, Sehun's brain continued to protest. But at some point, the protests grew faint and weak the way his consciousness waned. Soon enough, Sehun couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. He fell back asleep.

 

\-----

Sehun didn't know how long he was asleep, but he woke alone. His arm was back in bandages again and a sling kept it cradled safe against his abdomen. He looked down at his wrist and noted the absence of the bracelet. He could feel the familiar presence of his powers again, and it brought him some sense of peace.

 

He laid there for a while longer before he decided it was time to get up. The boat was still rocking beneath him, but he didn't feel the need to vomit like he had the prior day. He sat up, still feeling a little uncertain of his body. The pain was gone, but he still didn't feel quite stable or well. Still, he shifted his feet over the side of the bed and stood up.

 

Sehun took a breath and put his shoes back on. Then he looked to the space next to his pillow and discovered the pouch where he had placed it in the first place. He grabbed it, checked it for the bracelet, and put it in his pocket.

 

Leaving the room was uncomfortable, but that was only because of the sun. It was bright outside and Sehun's eyes were sensitive from being in the dark. He winced and blinked a few times, letting himself grow used to the brightness again.

 

"Finally up, I see."

 

Sehun turned to his side and spied Jongdae approaching him with that smile of his. Sehun crossed his good arm in front of himself, the only defense he had.

 

"Hey, I’m not going to touch you," Jongdae promised, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. Then he waited a moment before taking another step towards Sehun. "How are you feeling?"

 

Sehun didn't relax his posture, but he let his voice come to him. "Better," he answered, but he didn't elaborate.

 

"No more seasickness?" Jongdae asked.

 

Sehun shook his head.

 

"Have you eaten?"

 

Another shake of the head.

 

"Then let's get you something to eat," Jongdae invited, ushering Sehun to him. "Then we can start your training. Sound good?"

 

Sehun hesitated, but he was starting to think that he needed to stop being so scared. The prince's concern for him appeared to be genuine. Such concern led Sehun to believe he could address any problems encountered here. If any problems arose at all.

 

Sehun dropped his arm from his protective stance and made slow movements forward. Once at Jongdae's side, the knight wrapped a careful hand around Sehun's shoulder. The familiar touch filled Sehun with discomfort, but he took a few deep breaths and tried to push it away.

 

Finding food ended up being as uneventful as Sehun had hoped it would be. He gathered his serving on a beaten up wooden plate and they went back to find a seat on the deck. Jongdae let him eat in peace while he played with electricity on his fingers to occupy himself.

 

When he finished eating, Kyungsoo walked up to the two of them. He looked down at Sehun, some amount of relief in his eyes. He must have felt some amount of remorse for earlier.

 

"How does your arm feel?" he asked.

 

Sehun looked down at the sling keeping his arm still. It ached, but for now, it was tolerable. It was Sehun's stomach that was rolling with discomfort. Eating hadn't helped that, but he needed food.

 

"It's fine..." Sehun answered.

 

"Do you think he can handle training today?" Jongdae asked Kyungsoo.

 

"He should be fine," Kyungsoo said with a nod. "But be aware of his limits. That bracelet was a great help, but it sends him into panic attacks." Then he reached down to ruffle Sehun's hair. The affection made Sehun think of his father. He pulled away from the touch. Kyungsoo didn't appear too upset by the withdrawal. He dropped his hand and left with a few words over his shoulder. "Don't work too hard."

 

Though he wasn't confident, Sehun was feeling more energetic when he and Jongdae began. He felt like he could deal a little better with concepts of learning control now than yesterday.

 

Jongdae marked off a section of the deck where he said Sehun could work. It also told the other sailors on board the ship where they could not pass without warning. It would give Sehun his best chance at work without disruptions as well. Then he had Sehun face the sails on the ship. Those would be the easiest target for learning to control gusts.

 

"I'm going to teach you how to propel this ship faster with your wind," Jongdae explained. "I'm not asking you to pinpoint a small thing, so this should give you a nice broad control." Sehun nodded his understanding. "Now, as I understand it, you know how to call on your gift. It's knowing how to stop it or determine what power you need that is the real issue." Again, Sehun nodded. Jongdae smiled and gave him an encouraging wave of the hand. "Call on it for me."

 

Sehun turned to the sails and did as instructed. He reached into that familiar place inside him and called on his dear old friend the wind. It came immediately to his calls. Yet, with Sehun's reluctance, the wind was reluctant to give a strong gust. Instead, it only skirted the edges of the thick sail or ruffled it rather than fill it.

 

"Good try," Jongdae hummed. "But try to give it a little more push. You're hesitant because you're nervous about losing control. If you fear your power, you won't be able to control them. That goes the same for your newfound lightning gifts as well."

 

Sehun tried to breathe to relax himself into the flow of the wind. He hadn't tried to be this comfortable with his powers since he was very little. It was unnerving how out of practice he had become with time. The wind immediately picked up and he smiled as it pulled the sails taught. The ship gave a small lurch as it cut faster through the calm waters.

 

"Much better!" Jongdae cheered. "You need to stay relaxed if you want your powers to respond as you want. Now see if you can make it stop without instruction."

 

That was a little harder for Sehun. Even though Jongdae reminded him to stay calm, this was the part that made Sehun afraid. Years of difficulty dismissing his abilities had nurtured that fear. Calling them was easy. Getting the wind to settle after watching the destruction was not so easy.

 

Sehun tried to tell that familiar energy inside of him to stop, but the wind had picked up into a roar. Sehun could feel it slipping from his already loose grasp. The magic grew in strength and the range grew. Below them, the waters were becoming disturbed. He could feel the panic rise in him as the wind continued to pick up. Jongdae noticed immediately.

 

"Don't panic, Sehun," he urged, voice gentle and always calm. He placed a comforting hand on Sehun's shoulder. "Take back the control. This power belongs to you. It wants you in control of it."

 

"No, it doesn't," Sehun whispered, shrinking in on himself in defeat. The winds grew worse.

 

"Sehun, you're panicking," Jongdae noted, not leaving Sehun's side. "If your winds didn't want you to control them, then why are they panicking, too?"

 

Sehun looked up at the winds that tore at the sails, waiting for his approval. He hadn't heard it until now because he had been so ready to fall into panic. They whispered in his ear, asking as if they were children if they had done enough. Children seeking a father's blessing. It wasn't until Jongdae had said those words that he had heard them and realized he was right. His winds were panicking. Sehun had not given his approval with conviction. And because of no approval, like children, they often tried too hard. They were going beyond what he asked them for because they hadn't believed him when he said it was enough.

 

So, Sehun tried again. He reached for that energy inside of him that had become a moaning wind. He had to raise his voice over the cries of the gale inside of him. He told it to stop again, and this time, it seemed to hear him. It was slow to respond, but the wind died around them, and the sails relaxed until they were empty of wind. Jongdae signaled with his hands for the crew to inspect the sails. Once they were moving, he returned his attention to Sehun.

 

Sehun swayed on his feet when it was all over. He hadn't allowed that much power to flow through him in such a long time. It would no doubt get easier again as he got used to it, but right now, it had taken all the energy from him. Jongdae gripped his shoulders and moved him over to the side of the deck to sit. Yixing and Kyungsoo seemed to appear from almost nowhere to take care of him.

 

"Make sure he gets some more rest," Jongdae instructed. "A few more rough days still lay ahead of him, but this is a good start."

 

Kyungsoo nodded his agreement. They weren't going to stop their voyage at the border of Eriand. The prince had already plotted a coarse down south to the ports of trade. What little Sehun knew of Eriand, he knew that they were likely headed to the capital city. That was where the royal family lived, and it seemed Prince Yifan was aiming to return home.

 

Sehun's recovery would have plenty of time to continue while they voyaged. The only problem in Sehun's head was that he was putting distance between him and his father. Every passing day made the possibility of finding his father that much smaller. Yixing felt sorry for that, but he had thoughts on how the two would reunite. He had spoken to Sehun about potential once. He had even said that if things went as they should, he was certain Sehun would make a name for himself. If that happened, his father would come running as soon as he was able.

 

Over the next few days, Sehun continued to recover and he no longer required the bandages on his back. His arm too much longer. Yixing worked to stitch his bones back together with magic and Kyungsoo set the bones. Yixing maintained that he could have done most of the work on his own, but it would be tiring. Kyungsoo helped to take some of the pressure off Yixing and to be sure the bones did not come together deformed.

 

The spells were difficult for Yixing to explain well. He had so many secrets and he didn't want to reveal them all, so he skipped over explanations all over the place. Sehun only knew the magic to be both soothing and painful at the same time. Each day he felt like he could do a little more.

 

His own magic had been different. Sehun had a hard time understanding the limits of his control. He didn't even know how he would go about expanding those limits over time. But it was the lightning he now possessed that gave him the most trouble.

 

Jongdae, Yixing, and Kyungsoo had once discussed where it could have come from. Sehun swore his mother only possessed the power over the wind. Also, Jongdae was the only person he had ever met that had any kind of gift of electricity.

 

"Could my appearance near you have triggered the awakening?" Jongdae suggested, glancing in Sehun's direction. "Would that even make sense?"

 

Sehun shrugged. He hadn't exactly had much information on magic growing up. He didn't know anything about the little things that came with it. Even Jongdae, who studied magic, was not familiar with this topic. Magic didn't seem to appear at random in someone very often. Or if it did, there was not enough information on it to study in the first place.

 

"That may be the only conclusion we can draw at the moment," Yixing hummed. He always seemed to be thinking about something, but he would never tell anyone what he was thinking. It all stayed under secure lock and key in his head. In this case, it didn't seem to matter. Even Yixing didn't seem to have the answer, despite the number of thoughts he might have. "He should learn to control both either way."

 

There was a collective nod. Sehun pouted and wrapped his good arm around his stomach.

 

"I still don't like this," he grumbled, feeling a flare of unease and nausea flow through him once more. That feeling of being close to vomiting was constant, but it was much better than the first day.

 

"You don't have to like it," Kyungsoo said. "But uncontrolled power leads to bad things, not only for the people around you, but for you as well."

 

"You don't think I know that?" Sehun bit back. "I almost brought a tree down on me in an emotion fueled windstorm when I was seven. I know what it does."

 

"Then stop fighting your second gift," Jongdae encouraged. "The more you fight it, the more dangerous it becomes. Wind in your face won't kill you, it's the things falling on you that does it. But a lightning strike will if you don't discharge it in the correct manner."

 

"I know..." Sehun said. "But I'm... scared."

 

"You shouldn't fear it," Jongdae said, offering that friendly smile of his. "I'm here to teach you. No one is better at handling lightning than me and you will get it soon."

 

Sehun appreciated the confidence in him, but it didn't help him much. He continued to struggle with controlling lightning for the rest of the voyage. He trained for the next fifteen days with Jongdae up until they could see the ports.

 

The colors of red and silver shone bright in the Autumn sunlight. The proud banners that hung from the city walls hypnotized Sehun. The walls were strong and built from stone and the houses were many. The cobblestone streets bustled with people and their carts and wares. He had never seen a city so huge in his entire life.

 

Having grown stronger in the recent days, Sehun had begun letting his arm loose from its sling. Kyungsoo forbade him from abandoning the sling all together but encouraged a few hours at a time. With those hours, Sehun began climbing around the deck as if he were a member of the crew. The rest of the men on board gazed with impressed looks on him. Many wondered how he was so quick to adapt to the boat when he had gotten so ill on the first day.

 

Another bout of sea sickness never came again, and Sehun was glad for that. Suffering through his broken arm was enough discomfort. The appearance of his lightning already made it worse. 

 

So many things out here were new to him. On his third day on the boat, Sehun noticed the fish. There were fish in the water that he had never seen before. All the colors were so exotic, and the sizes were far larger than he could have imagined. Sehun only knew of the river fish that always seemed to elude his fishing rod. But when he looked into the sea, Jongdae had been able to name each one of them for him.

 

Kyungsoo told Sehun of plants for healing that he had never heard the names of before. He listed a few common herbs in Eriand used for medicines and told him their uses. He even promised to give Sehun time to look in his book of flora when they landed. Sehun gave Kyungsoo a tight smile at that. 

 

When they came up to the docks, most of the sailors stayed to perform their final tasks. The prince and his friend were first to leave the ship as soon as someone laid the gangplank down.  The guards, like Jongdae, followed shortly after.

 

On their way off the boat, Yixing and Sehun thanked the captain for their rescue. He assured them it was no trouble and wished them better luck. Then Kyungsoo wished him well on his next journey across the oceans before he followed the two off the boat.

 

They were all stopped to register their visit to the Kingdom of Eriand. As guessed, there were questions for them all to answer. Sehun gritted his teeth and explained his situation for the customs officer. The man gave him a sad expression after hearing his story. Then he patted Sehun's shoulder in a manner meant to comfort. Sehun tried not to flinch.

 

"Welcome to your new home, my boy," the officer said, giving him a solemn smile.

 

That was both a very kind gesture and something that upset Sehun. He muttered a thank you and hurried away. Jongdae was waiting for him at the end of the docks. He stood with a relaxed posture and he had a smirk on his face when he looked at Sehun and his companions. "I have some business to attend to with the prince, but I'm not done with you yet, Sehun."

 

Sehun gave him a perplexed look. "What do you mean, you're not-"

 

"You still can't control that lightning of yours," Jongdae reminded him, still smiling. "So, I'm not letting you go off without me until that's figured out."

 

Sehun bit his lip, unsure of how he felt about this declaration. He already owed a lot to Jongdae, and he wasn't sure how he was going to pay him back. There was only one way Sehun knew to pay for a favor this big. A favor with the potential to save his life. It was the only way he had learned, but he wanted to believe Jongdae was a better person than that.

 

No one seemed to notice his discomfort.

 

"Did you forget you're a knight of the court?" Kyungsoo snapped. "You can't go off on your own unless you want to lose your title."

 

"I have not forgotten," Jongdae huffed. "And as I said, I have some business to take care of, first. Business for the court. But once I take care of that, I can ask for some leave to take care of you guys until Sehun gets things under control. Then I can return to my usual duties."

 

"But what makes you think I'll ever learn?" Sehun muttered. I don't even know where I'm going after this."

 

"I'm taking you to my home," Kyungsoo stated, leaving no room for argument. "You're still recovering, and I lack the confidence to leave you alone with Rabbit Boy. He seems too scatter brained to mind the rest of your healing."

 

"I take offense to that," Yixing snapped.

 

"Fine," Sehun moaned. "I need to find someone. So, I guess I'll plan what I'm going to do while I heal."

 

"You'll have to," Kyungsoo agreed. Then he turned to Jongdae. "Shoo!" he said, impatience evident in his voice. "Hurry up and get back soon. I don't want to wait too long. We will gather supplies for travel while we wait."

 

“Yes, yes, I’m going,” Jongdae whined with a roll of his eyes. Then he gave them a little wave and hurried off towards the castle.

 

\-----

 

Kyungsoo stomped his way through the city while they shopped. Sehun and Yixing decided to split from him while he cooled down. When they finished their shopping, they went to wait for Kyungsoo in the square. Sehun was still tired quite often anyway. He needed to rest. 

 

Yixing decided now was a good time to coach Sehun through a few meditation exercises. They would be good help while he normalized himself to the second energy inside him. It did help, but Sehun found the exercises boring and repetitive. He said as much to Yixing.

 

"Keep going," Yixing said with a monotone voice. "You'll see the benefits someday."

 

Sehun didn't argue and kept his eyes closed, focusing on his breathing. He stayed this way for a few minutes longer. It was only inevitable that he would get distracted by his own thoughts. The noise of a lively city was near impossible to ignore, and Sehun wanted to know all about it.

 

When he finally allowed himself to open his eyes, he took a curious a look around. Yixing was now sitting next to him, quiet and looking comfortable. His eyes moved to the people that passed by them. Even their clothing looked different. it all looked much more refined. Though, Sehun wondered if that was because a decent number of people here were wealthy.

 

Something caught Sehun's eye as someone else passed them. A woman, dressed in the finery of the wealthy, walking down the street. But it wasn't her that drew Sehun's eye, it was the frail looking young man that stumbled behind her. His feet were bound in shackles that only allowed him half a stride before the chain grew taut. His arms were full of packaged goods and trinkets while her arms were empty. A metal collar sat around his neck, carved with an intricate pattern. It was both beautiful and terrifying at the same time, and Sehun didn't understand.

 

"Have you never seen a slave before?"

 

Sehun blinked, breaking out of his mindless staring, and turned to Yixing.

 

"You know there was only one person in my village wealthy enough to own them," Sehun pointed out. "And he didn't need them."

 

Yixing hummed in thought. "Well," he began, "the slaves in Eriand and Nimrine are similar but different. Though, Eriand uses another word for forced labor. It depends on how the individual enters the labor system. Eriand has slaves and indentured servants."

 

Sehun nodded. He had heard of this before, but no one had bothered to explain to him the difference before. Nimrine called all forced laborers slaves regardless of the situation. "What situations make one person different from another?" he asked.

 

"Slaves are most often born into the life of a slave. If not, they were unlucky and got picked up somewhere," Yixing told him, raising a finger to denote one type of person. "People who own slaves see them as property rather than people and can treat them in any way they wish." He raised another finger to or show he was moving on. "Indentured servants can be forced into labor for a few reasons, but the common ones are money and crime. If someone owes money for any reason and can't pay it back, the loaner can seek to collect by putting them to work. In a different case, if someone commits a crime not worthy of death, they may serve their sentence as a servant. Sometimes, the person in charge can change the terms of the servant's release to keep them longer. If a convicted criminal needs to serve a minimum of five years, they may end up serving twenty."

 

"I didn't know there was a name for that," Sehun commented. "I've heard of that kind of thing happening in other parts of Nimrine, but it was still called slavery."

 

"Because it is," Yixing said with a nod. "The two are close enough to me that they are synonymous because of the way masters treat them. Indentured servants are only a little luckier."

 

Sehun looked back at the people walking down the street. The woman and her slave were long gone by now, but he looked after a few more interesting characters. He didn't like the topic and he was hoping to get away from it. He was glad Yixing didn't feel the need to add any more detail.

 

He turned his attention back to Yixing and there was a twitch of his nose that reminded Sehun of something. This topic would be easier to handle.

 

"Why did you take on the form of a rabbit, rather than a human?" he asked. "When you first came to me, that is." This question had been burning in the back of his mind for days, but for some reason he had never asked it before.

 

Yixing didn't seem bothered by the change in topic. "My master told me to come to you in an inconspicuous form," Yixing answered. "Rabbits were a form I'd always carried, and you seemed to like little things even before I knew you. I did worry a little that you might try to shoot me."

 

"Something told me not to," Sehun told him. "I don't know why, but I never looked at you and thought of putting an arrow in you."

 

"It might have been because some part of you knew I wasn't a rabbit."

 

"Maybe."

 

"That does happen sometimes!" a new voice added from behind the both of them.

 

Sehun and Yixing both jumped in surprise and looked behind them. Sehun's eyes were quick to find Chanyeol hovering over their shoulders. He smiled down at the two of them, looking a little sheepish.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," Chanyeol apologized. Yixing stared at Chanyeol for a long moment and Chanyeol's smile slipped a little from his face. Sehun didn't like the tension. "I only heard you conversation and found it interesting," Chanyeol said. He broke eye contact with Yixing and turned to Sehun. "Sometimes people have special gifts that are impossible to explain. Even people without magic. You may have a very perceptive eye for such things."

 

"I suppose I could," Sehun muttered. "Though if I do, it doesn't help me with the intentions of others."

 

Chanyeol gave him a sad expression. "I know. And I'm very sorry."

 

"I'm sorry," Yixing interrupted. "Have you two met?"

 

"We met on the boat," Chanyeol answered. "The prince summoned him for a chat. I was there when he came by." He returned his attention to Sehun again and displayed a soft smile. "He didn't like me approaching him, though. Can't say I blame him." He jutted his chin out in Sehun's general direction. "How is your arm doing? Better?"

 

Sehun turned to hide his splinted arm behind his body as if that would make his problem go away. "Yes."

 

"I'm not here to tease you," Chanyeol said. Yixing scoffed behind the both of them. Chanyeol looks over at Yixing, indignation written all over his face. “I’m not!”

 

Yixing didn't say anything, but it was clear he didn't like Chanyeol. The reason wasn't clear and Sehun couldn't figure out what was wrong. He didn't know what to think of Chanyeol either, but Sehun's trust was currently hard won.

 

"Anyway," Chanyeol said. "You guys sounded like you were having an interesting conversation is all. I wanted to be a part of it."

 

"Then..." Sehun began, glancing in Yixing's direction to be sure that a conversation would be okay. "Could you tell me more about this place?" he asked. "I have never left my village before and this is the first city I've ever been to that was so huge."

 

"That's because you're in the capital," Chanyeol said with a laugh. "The king and queen as well as their children live up on the hill in the castle." He pointed, but it was hard for Sehun to have missed the castle on the way in to the city. Decorated in the same colors of red and silver, the emblem of a burning feather hung from the parapets. To anyone going to war, it might have been formidable, but to citizens, they were proud of their flag.

 

"Do the king and queen make regular appearances to the people?" Sehun asked. He didn't know much about the king of Nimrine except that he made laws without speaking to anyone. He even had others dictate them. It was like he was completely absent from his people and his father never liked it. Many people didn't approve.

 

"Well, they used to appear more. Or so my mother says," Chanyeol hummed. "But they have been very busy trying to find their son."

 

"Their son?" Sehun questioned, blinking in confusion. "But the prince was with us on the boat."

 

"Their second son," Chanyeol corrected with a small laugh. It wasn't a condescending laugh, and Sehun didn't take it as such. "You're too young to have been there, but has someone told you of the years of war?"

 

"A little," Sehun admitted.

 

"To summarize, a duke of the Kingdom of Nimrine tried to take over as the monarch of Eriand. When his attempt failed, the army tried to put him to death. He retreated to Nimrine and the king refused to give him up to Eriand. That was how the war started."

 

Sehun nodded his understanding. Some of that did sound familiar. He might have heard most of it before, but history had never been a strong point of his.

 

"So, all citizens of Eriand know that the king and queen had two sons. One was the Crown Prince Yifan, of course, and the other was the second in line. But the little prince was born as the rebellion started. Prince Yifan was old enough to hold a sword and run. He did not go anywhere without a guard, but the baby was much more vulnerable. It's rumored that the king and queen trusted someone with his life and sent him away with them. But since the treaty, no one has seen this child ever again. By now, they would be eighteen or nineteen and they may still have no idea who they are."

 

"So, the king and queen are using their time to find their son," Sehun concluded.

 

"Yes and no," Chanyeol responded. "Because they need to rule a kingdom, they ask others to look into leads for them. They will look in on very important leads themselves. Small clues that lead to other clues go to guards and anyone else they hire. But what they need is a lot of different things, so they see their people often to ask for help. It's hoped that they will make a full return to their people when the young prince returns home to his family. But the queen has seen him, and she knows there is hope."

 

"How has she seen him?" Sehun asked, brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought you said no one has seen the prince since he disappeared."

 

"Ah, yes, the queen has a magical gift," Chanyeol hummed.

 

"The gift of the Sight."

 

Sehun and Chanyeol turn to the interrupting voice and looked over in the direction it had come from. Kyungsoo was arriving with the supplies he had purchased. He was pretty weighed down, but Chanyeol moved to assist him by taking some of his things.

 

"It's good to see you, Kyungsoo," Chanyeol said, hints of fondness in his voice. Kyungsoo looked up at him, for the most part annoyed. “I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to greet you on the boat. Yifan needed me. Did you have a good trip?”

 

Kyungsoo's brow twitched. "Not so much," he answered. "The lead was a failure and I ended up treating this boy half the trip back." He waved a hand in Sehun's direction. "But you have no excuse! A month on that fucking boat. You could have spent five minutes away to say hello, you idiot."

 

Chanyeol danced away out of Kyungsoo's reach, fearing a smack, a punch, or worse. "Sehun seems nice though," Chanyeol piped up with a smile, moving the conversation along.

 

"A pain in my rear end," Kyungsoo corrected in the same tone Chanyeol had given him a moment prior. Then his face melted back into a frown. "But how did your mission? I heard your last one was a big one."

 

"It went fine, I guess," Chanyeol hummed. "Not the outcome we wanted, but it was fine. Yifan is sending me on another one soon. Sounds like we will be working together again."

 

"Quit saying the Crown Prince's name," Kyungsoo hissed. "It's disrespectful. You'll draw attention to yourself."

 

"But we're friends!" Chanyeol whined.

 

"Doesn't matter," Kyungsoo said. "You're not of royal blood. Others will misunderstand." Chanyeol pouted, but he dropped the subject and turned to Sehun and Yixing. "Have you two seen Jongdae, yet?" The two shook their heads in unison. Kyungsoo let out a frustrated groan.

 

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," Yixing said. Then he looked around and noticed the sun was going down. "We will have to spend the night here, anyway. You can make him pay for it."

 

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Kyungsoo growled. "He wastes my time and thinks there won't be consequences."

 

Sehun and Chanyeol giggled to themselves a little bit. Chanyeol already seemed to know Kyungsoo for quite a while, but Sehun had only known him for a couple weeks. Even so, he knew you didn't take something from Kyungsoo. Not without him expecting something of yours in return.

 

"I guess I'll leave you to it, then," Chanyeol sang, moving to leave. "I'll see you around." Then he turned to Sehun and said. "I wish you luck wherever you go. Stay safe here." Then he was off and Sehun had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time he saw the strange man and his fiery red cloak.

 

"Let's find a room that we can't afford," Kyungsoo grumbled. He was going to milk Jongdae for this. Sehun learned early that Kyungsoo was petty for these kinds of things. But the room they found was much more grande than anything Sehun had ever experienced before. Even in the nobleman's house, living was only as comfortable as nearby vendors could make it. Not to mention Sehun was never allowed the luxury of sleeping on those beds. If he was on them, he was working. If he was spending the night, he was on the floor. Sehun had tried to avoid having to sleep over.

 

This was different. As soon as Sehun saw the bed he would be sleeping on, he threw himself onto it. He regretted this action only a little because of the pain it caused, but it was worth it in the end. Sehun had never been so comfortable before. They even had walls between their individual beds. He cuddled into the blankets and pillows and the inn promised to bring them dinner later. He couldn't wait.

 

Jongdae showed up much later, whining as he placed down a sack of coins in front of Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo spent the next fifteen minutes counting the coins to be sure the guard had paid in full. Sehun hid his amused smile in his comfortable bed.

 

Kyungsoo calmed down after that. But it was clear he would only stay that way if he remained undisturbed for the rest of the night. Dinner was their only disruption after that. Sehun hadn't had food that good in years and he fell asleep felling completely content.

 

Yixing woke Sehun once to check on his injuries. He was luckily half asleep while Kyungsoo and Yixing worked on his arms again. A sharp twinge caused him to let out a loud yelp, and he was wide awake. The sudden should also woke Jongdae, who reached for his sword. When he realized what was going on, he groaned and dropped back into the sheets.

 

The healing process was unpleasant, but Sehun could feel his strength returning. If he had tried to let it heal on his own, even getting this far would have taken months. He didn't want to think about how he may never have regained the use of his arm.

 

His back was a different story. He assumed the scarring would be better than predicted. If there was minimal scarring, it was only because of magic used to keep those wounds from festering. Kyungsoo watched like a hawk to be sure that he did not scratch at them or pick at the scabs. With Yixing watching as well, Sehun couldn't help but leave the wounds alone to heal.

 

Sehun found himself overcome with gratitude and he didn't know what to do with it all. When Yixing and Kyungsoo finished with him for the night, they made to move back to bed. But before Kyungsoo could move away from him, Sehun pinched his shirt to keep him with him for a moment longer.

 

"I know it's late," Sehun whispered. "But can I ask you something?"

 

Kyungsoo, seeming to hear something in Sehun's voice, sat back down next to him. "What do you need?" he asked, no hint of sleepiness in his voice for the moment.

 

"I just..." Sehun began, wringing his hands a little in thought. "My father and I used to pray every morning. I'm not sure I believe, but it was a comfort to even pretend..."

 

Kyungsoo seemed to understand even when Sehun's voice faded. He didn't even have to finish his question. "Would you like me to take you to a shrine for the local deities?" Kyungsoo asked. "There is one close by."

 

Sehun looked up and shook his head. "You don't even have to take me there. I can go myself," he offered, not wanting to inconvenience Kyungsoo any more than he already was. Kyungsoo seemed to find this amusing and snorted, but he complied.

 

"When you leave this inn, go to your left about five hundred paces," he said. "Then go to your left and walk until the end. On the right will be an ornamental gate. Pass through it. They don't lock the gate. There is a little pool there. Sit or kneel as you wish and wash your face with the water. Others may or may not join you or may already be there. Don't mind them. They shouldn't disturb you."

 

Then Kyungsoo returned to his bed and fell back asleep. Sehun hesitated at first with whether he should go or not. But once Kyungsoo was asleep and Yixing hadn't made his woken presence known, he got up and decided to go.

 

He took the left as Kyungsoo had instructed and then the left down a thin, lantern lit street. He did not feel threatened here even though he did meet with the occasional shady business owner. He kept his distance when they asked if he would like to spend a night with one of their girls or boys. Sehun didn't listen to the people in doorways anymore. Not after what had almost happened to him.

 

Upon arriving at the ornamental gate, Sehun paused to admire it. This city was amazing in so many ways. Even places of prayer were beautiful and maintained with pride. Such displays to gods and goddesses didn't exist on the same scale in Nimrine. All Sehun had ever known was his dusty little alter that he found difficulty in being earnest to.  But now he had things to pray for. Things he did not have before.

 

He pushed opened the gate, and as promised, it was not locked. He passed over stones, lined in neat rows, and walked under trellises of climbing flowers. Every blossom shone bright in the moonlight and all the vines lay in perfect curls over the wood. He was starting to come to a peaceful place inside of himself when he looked ahead of himself again and saw the pool. But that was not all; there was already someone seated at the pool, deep in prayer.

 

As he approached, Sehun debated position. It was a large pool and he did not need to sit near the person if he did not wish to. But walking around the other side of the pool felt rude as well. Something in him told him that sitting with the other person was fine as long as he was respectful.

 

With that encouraging thought, Sehun went and sat himself down next to the other person. It was a young man, somewhere around his age or a little older than himself. He had delicate, though distinct masculine features and a small frame. A strange feeling came over Sehun's body when he looked at the man's profile. He couldn't place it, but the feeling had him looking at the man for a little longer than would be necessary.

 

The man didn't open his eyes, though, and remained lost in his prayers. It was Sehun's turn to do the same. He tore his gaze away from the man and took a seat next to him instead. He maintained a respectable distance away to ensure he did not bother the other.

 

Sehun did as Kyungsoo had instructed him to and dipped his hands into the water. He cupped his hands to catch some of the water and brought it up to splash his face. He allowed it to run into the creases of his closed eyes and the line of his lips. It felt like he was washing his impurities away for this moment.

 

Then he settled into his position of prayer. it was different from the man next to him. The man next to him sat cross legged and with only his gloved fingertips touching in his lap. Sehun sat back on his heels, his thighs under his weight. But it didn't matter how he sat, because soon, Sehun was praying harder than he had since he was a child.

 

He prayed for his father and his safety and he prayed for Taeyeon, hoping that her death had been swift. He prayed she would have a full life after this one, because Sehun was not sure there was an afterlife at all. He prayed for his mother, wishing she were still there with him to teach him everything he had to learn. Before he knew it, his lips were trembling and his eyes stung. He would not let himself make those noises here, but tears came unbidden and he would allow them to fall.

 

It was only halfway through his prayers that he felt something brush his hand. He opened his eyes and looked to his side. The man was looking at him now, glassy eyes and all. He had a gloved hand extended to Sehun, hoping he would accept his hand. Sehun couldn't bring himself to refuse. He took the man's hand and gripped it tight in his. Then they returned to prayer. Sehun didn't stop crying, but he felt better knowing that someone was there with him. It didn't matter to him that that person was a complete stranger.

 

Sehun ended up finishing his prayers before his companion, but he didn't let go of that warm hand. Instead, he looked up at the stars, waiting. A shooting star shot across the sky, a bright tail following its descent. The path stayed in the sky far longer than the movement lasted. By the time it faded, his companion finished his prayers.

 

The older boy looked at him and offered a weak smile before standing, never letting Sehun's hand go. They walked out of the shrine together, still holding hands. It wasn't until they were in the light of the lantern lit street that Sehun noticed something amiss. When he looked at the stranger once more, he finally saw the bruise forming on his companion's cheek.

 

Sehun gasped and reached out for it, horrified, because he knew what that felt like. He wanted to supply comfort, but the man pulled away and stoked the fire in his eyes. He wasn't afraid of Sehun, nor was he being defensive. He was trying to show his confidence and pride and let Sehun that he could handle it.

 

So Sehun let it go and stepped back. He allowed their moment to pass. The man smiled again to Sehun and turned in the opposite direction Sehun would need to go. Sehun wouldn't get a name.

 

\-----

 

The next morning, news spread that a woman died in the neighboring kingdom of Nimrine. She was a traveling mage and her gifts brought her trouble in a little village, Falita. Word of mouth said her body burned at the stake. The villagers called her horrible names and threw things at her as she burned. Then they danced around her corpse as if her death were a celebration.

 

Sehun did not take this news well.

 

Upon hearing the news, he gripped his hair by the roots and screamed at the top of his lungs. People turned to stare at him, concern flashing across the faces of many. Yixing gripped him by the shoulders and tried to pull him away, but Sehun refused to move.

 

Then his winds came up and so did his lightning. Yixing flinched back, stunned by a shock of lightning. Sehun cried, shouted, got angry, punched walls, threw things. If he had had the alter from his old home with him, he would have smashed it. The winds around him grew to frightening gusts as his emotions raged out of control. People around him backed away in fright. 

 

His father was wrong. Praying did nothing. There was no amount of pleading he could do to the gods and goddesses to save what he loved. There was no afterlife for his mother. There was no swift and painless death for Taeyeon. And it was likely his father was dead, too.

 

Sehun didn’t quiet down until he flung his pack across the street in his rage. Its contents spilled across the stones. Things ranging from clothing to medicines to his trinkets scattered over the street. But the one thing that stood out was the unfamiliar gemstone that sat among the many familiar items.

 

Then he remembered. Taeyeon had hidden something in his things to help him find her brother. In the weeks since leaving his home, he hadn't remembered to look for the promised item. He had gone into his bag for clothes only and not much else.

 

He grabbed for it and held the little stone in his hands. It was a moonstone; flawless and smooth. He clutched the stone tight in his hand and knelt in the street, crying with the moaning hurricane.

 

A strike came to the back of his head. It was powerful and well targeted. Sehun collapsed under the force of it. Then he finally heard the noises of people around him again. His winds died with his fading consciousness and people spoke in hushed tones around him. He felt someone come to hover over him, but all Sehun cared about was that the moonstone lay safe in his hand.


	6. Chapter 6

Yixing didn’t leave Sehun's side for the rest of the day. They put travel off for another day, but they couldn't exactly move with Sehun the way he was. They returned to the inn where Jongdae placed Sehun back in his bed. Yixing retrieved the spelled bracelet from Sehun's now disorganized things. He wound it around Sehun's wrist as a precaution.

 

Kyungsoo and Jongdae kept themselves busy with small tasks while Yixing kept an eye on Sehun. Kyungsoo would check in on Sehun as well every now and then. Jongdae seemed to be busy writing a letter, but it was short and he called a bird to deliver it soon after composing it.

 

A few hours later, Sehun finally woke. Yixing was already holding his hand when his eyes opened and Sehun felt his pulse quicken. Yixing noticed and placed a gentle hand against Sehun's forehead.

 

"Shh," he breathed. "Stay calm, Sehun."

 

Sehun's breath came in short gasps, but he tried to keep himself from getting any worse. He squirmed with discomfort. The wind was so quiet.

 

"Remove the bracelet," Jongdae said, coming into the room once again. "He'll feel better."

 

Sehun hadn't even noticed the bracelet himself until now. But when he looked down, there it sat, winking at him. Yixing was quick to do as Jongdae suggested and untie the string holding it on. Sehun took a breath when he could hear the wind again and relaxed back into the bed again. 

 

Jongdae came to his side with a sad expression written on his face. He stared down at Sehun, both stern and understanding. "We are all sorry for your loss, Sehun," he told him, giving Sehun's shoulder a squeeze. "But you can't lose control like that."

 

Sehun, though unapologetic for his emotions, looked away in shame. He had been doing well when they were on the boat, and he had ruined it.

 

"A little something came for you," Jongdae said, handing a little folded piece of paper to him. "From the Crown Prince."

 

Sehun hesitated before sitting up, moving slow, to take the paper from Jongdae. It slipped into his fingers, but he didn't open it, shifting with discomfort. Jongdae stood there for a moment, waiting for Sehun to at least open the note, but Sehun never did.

 

"Aren't you going to read it?" Jongdae asked.

 

Sehun bit his lip, not sure how to confess something like this to one of noble status. That was when Kyungsoo returned to the room.

 

"I'm almost positive he doesn't know how to read," the earth mage said. There was no judgement in the tone he used. It was only a statement of fact. He came and sat down on the edge of Sehun's bed, shooing Jongdae away. "Is that correct?"

 

Sehun gave him a small, embarrassed nod.

 

"I'll read it for you," Kyungsoo offered, holding his hand out for the note. Sehun breathed in relief and handed over the note to Kyungsoo. The mage opened up the small scrap of paper. There wasn't much written on it, but he scanned the letters with practiced ease. "You didn't hurt anyone, but please be more careful from now on. Signed, Prince Yifan."

 

Sehun's hands balled into tight fists in the blankets. He could do better than this. He knew he could, but he needed more experience with control.

 

On the bedside table, Sehun spied the little moonstone. Somehow, it held the key to finding Taeyeon's brother. He picked it up and brushed his fingers over the cool surface, admiring the smoothness.

 

Despite the innocence of the small stone, it brought back remnants of his earlier rage. It reminded him of Taeyeon and it brought the terrible images of her burning. It reminded him of her smile and her kindness and how robbed he felt.

 

Sehun cut off the thoughts as soon as he realized where they were heading. He took a deep breath and put the stone back down. It was within reach, but he didn't need to be touching it.

 

"Thank you for reading it for me," he said to Kyungsoo, keeping his voice soft and calm. "I'm going to rest a little more."

 

Kyungsoo nodded and got up from Sehun's bed. "Sleep as much as you need," he encouraged. "Tomorrow, we will leave here. You will need your strength."

 

Sehun nodded and his three companions left him be. Sehun had a difficult time going back to sleep, but when it came to him, he dreamed. He dreamed of birdsong and a woman dancing in a field of flowers. Her body glowed with warm light, and she shone like the sun.

 

Nightingales flocked to her songs.

 

\-----

 

The next morning, their little group finally got out of the city. Sehun still wasn't back to normal, but he was capable of walking today and that was all that they needed from him. Yixing still didn't leave him alone for long periods of time. Kyungsoo and Jongdae didn’t press him to do much more than walk.

 

Sehun refused to let go of the moonstone the whole day. He even set it in front of him when he managed to eat small bits of food. When he finally put it away, it remained in his pocket, but at least the tears had stopped for now.

 

The journey to Kyungsoo’s home takes two days of walking along dirt trails. Sehun doesn’t remember ever having walked that distance before. His feet are sore every time they take a break, but he tries not to complain.

 

The more they get away from the city, the more Sehun grows comfortable. He doesn't have to see people as much and he's learning to trust his companions. Jongdae never asked for repayment for his favors. Sehun was beginning to believe he never would ask

 

They head into forests that are dense with vegetation and animals. Sehun remembers everything from his childhood memories. He thinks of his father almost every second of the day and wishes he were there with them. He thinks of everything his father taught him. All his hunting and foraging skills were there. His itch to nock an arrow was growing worse with each passing day. His loneliness was becoming unbearable, too. He tries to push the feelings away as they finally come upon Kyungsoo's home.

 

Kyungsoo's house is rustic, but not rundown. It looks nothing like the abode that Sehun and his father had occupied for his entire life. Moss and flowers of all kinds covered the roof and gardens in front. It looked light and inviting.

 

The interior was simple, with few pieces of furniture, but it was no less inviting than the exterior. There was a spare bedroom with a low bed, but there was not space for everyone to have a bed. Kyungsoo gives Sehun the guest bed since he was still the one in most need of it. Jongdae had brought with him equipment for roughing it, so he could put out his bedroll for sleeping. He didn't mind.

 

Yixing maintained that he would only be sleeping on a bed. At first, everyone thought he would be squeeze himself in next to Kyungsoo. It turned out that Yixing had other plans. The first night, he transformed into the rabbit that Sehun had always known and cuddled with the boy. That helped Sehun relax into this new environment.

 

Days blurred by and Jongdae continued to teach him how to use his gifts to the best of his ability. Wind was becoming easy for Sehun to get control of. Yet, he still remained hesitant to accept the lightning gift in him at the same time.

 

"Why do you resist it?" Jongdae asked one day after Sehun had given himself a bad shock. It even left a little burn on the side of his leg that they were tending to. "What's so bad about it?"

 

Sehun wasn't sure of how to answer that. But he took a breath and tried anyway. "It's not mine," he answered, voice soft and hesitant. "I grew up only knowing the wind. It was there the entire time. And then suddenly this..." He didn't want to call it a gift, but he didn't know what else to refer to it as. "This power decides it's going to be a part of me after all this time. I hate it."

 

"Your gifts aren't like people," Jongdae had to remind him. "It's wonderful that you consider the wind a friend. It's a comfort, and I know you feel alone these days. I understand why you do, but your gifts are not people. They don't show up because they think you need another friend. Magic is strange as much as it is beautiful. Sometimes it's random, and other times there are conditions to meet."

 

"Like age or some kind of blessing, I know," Sehun said, frustrated. "But this power doesn't feel like mine. I don't know. It feels strange, like something at my core is being forced to change."

 

"Is change so bad?" Jongdae asked.

 

"Huh?" Sehun blurted, eyes wide.

 

"Is change so bad?" the guard repeated with a smile. "Everyone changes. Everyone's physical appearance changes as they grow. Everyone's thoughts change as they mature. Everyone changes their mind. Everyone has a change of heart. What is so wrong with change?"

 

"I..."

 

"Think about it," Jongdae suggested. "Is it so bad that you have a second ability? Is it so hard to accept that there's a part of you that you were unaware of until now?"

 

Even as he thought about it, Sehun got angrier and angrier. The wind shifted, but he somehow managed to remember and hold onto his control at the last moment. He wasn't even sure he was mad at Jongdae. He didn't know what he was so angry about, but Sehun jumped to his feet. He went to go grab his bow and a few arrows before stalking off to the forest to shoot a few practice arrows.

 

He needed time to himself. All the constant fawning over him since his rescue was suffocating him. He stomped a little ways into the woods where it was safe to shoot. But his body reminded him of his weakness the moment he tried to nock an arrow.

 

Pulling on the string was not only hard, it was painful. The pressure it put on his left arm to hold the bow steady caused Sehun to cry out. He only managed to pull back halfway before his arm gave out. The arrow went only a short number of paces from him and his bow flung away from his failing grip. There was no way he was going to get any actual hunting done like this. He growled in frustration and went to pick up his bow, wanting to try again.

 

He was in the middle of nocking his second arrow when someone's hand came down on his hands. They pushing the arrow towards the ground, and Sehun, angry, turned to confront them.

 

A harsh slap met his face.

 

Taken by surprise, Sehun's grip loosened on the bow until it slid from his fingers. Though the slap was firm, and his cheek stung, it was somehow nothing like the times prior. Usually, a strike like that fell with hurtful words and promises of more pain. But all Sehun could see when he looked down was disappointment and anger on Kyungsoo's face. Sehun lifted a shocked hand up to his own cheek.

 

Kyungsoo fixed him with a hard stare before shoving a book into his hands. Sehun looked down at it, a title he couldn't read sitting up top. The picture was of a well, an empty bucket sitting next to it.

 

"If you want to shoot again," Kyungsoo growled, "heal first."

 

Sehun looked down at the book again in confusion and looked back up at Kyungsoo. But one short search of Kyungsoo's face told Sehun exactly what he was giving him. He was providing a distraction.

 

"Were you embarrassed to need my help reading back at the inn?" he asked.

 

Sehun nodded.

 

"Then I'll teach you," Kyungsoo offered, completely serious. "Until you can do more with your arm, you need to be doing something else. Next week we can have you do housework. Depending on your progress, we can start you on building up your strength again. Then you can try archery again. But right now, it's too early."

 

Sehun didn't say anything. He was still too angry to speak. But Kyungsoo was offering him a skill for the future and he didn't want to come across as ungrateful. It was only his emotions and frustration fighting him.

 

When Sehun gave no verbal response, Kyungsoo grabbed the boy by his good arm and hauled him back to the cottage. Sehun allowed his feet to follow with very little reluctance. The two of them passed Jongdae without a word on their way back into the house. Jongdae didn't seem all too concerned. He had taken up some kind of whittling project on a branch in the few minutes Sehun had been gone.

 

Kyungsoo sat Sehun down at the table upon getting inside and began their work. He taught Sehun letters first, naming them all and then asking Sehun to name what he remembered. But this in itself was a process. Sehun had seen them all before and knew some of them. He recognized the letters for his own name first.

 

Kyungsoo made that his first written word. Sehun ended up fascinated with the look of his name on paper. He had only seen it a handful of times on paper. One of those times was when the prison warden signed his release papers.

 

Over the time left in the day, Sehun learned the letters by name and aside from his name learned the sounds they made. The next few days would test his memory and his patience. It was learning three letter words where Sehun gained a small persistent headache. Bigger words were worse and Sehun didn't know all the larger words. He asked all the time for definitions from Kyungsoo. That somehow didn't feel as embarrassing as admitting he couldn't read at all.

 

"What kinds of things do you want to read?" Kyungsoo asked one day when Sehun was taking a break.

 

"What kinds?" Sehun repeated, unsure of what Kyungsoo meant.

 

"As in do you want to learn something new when you read?" Kyungsoo asked, going to his shelves of books. He pulled out the book he had once promised Sehun; the book on flora. "Or do you want to hear a story?" He pulled out another book, blue binding falling apart at the seams. Kyungsoo placed both books in front of Sehun and sat beside him. "You will make easier progress if you pick something you want to read rather than something I pick for you."

 

Sehun looked between the two books and back up at Kyungsoo. "What is the story about?"

 

"An ordinary boy discovers his extraordinary gifts," Kyungsoo answered. "Only, he's very special and it sends him on a journey to find others like him. But there are others after his powers that wish to kill him."

 

"Does he live?" Sehun asked.

 

Kyungsoo smiled to himself and pushed the book towards Sehun's hands. "I guess you will have to find out."

 

Sehun took the book and opened it. He blinked at all the words on the first page and felt overwhelmed from the start. But Kyungsoo didn't leave his side as he struggled through the first page. He addressed any words Sehun couldn't wrap his head around and he defined words Sehun didn't know. It was a slow process, but when they made it to the bottom of the page, Sehun's smile was brighter than it had been in years.

 

Kyungsoo ruffled Sehun's hair and told him to take another break. By this point, they had been working on teaching Sehun to read for about a week and a half. Jongdae didn't pester him as much about practice these days, but he wasn't finished with Sehun yet.

 

Sehun began spending a good deal of time cleaning after a week of reading. He would alternated between the two in a day. Things still hurt and Yixing still tended to aches and pains. It was because of the way his bones broke that it was taking so long. In most places, Yixing and Kyungsoo were able to speed up healing. But some places they had to use magic to slow it down to be sure everything was all right. Cleaning became a thing that Sehun near obsessed over. It gave him his strength back with every bucket of water he lifted.

 

Jongdae still didn't pester him, but Sehun noticed the looks he would give him when it was time to practice. Sehun would come to him with great reluctance and make full strides with the winds. But his lightning stayed the same, untamed force that he hated. Jongdae wouldn't teach him to use it until he was ready.

 

Despite the fact that he knew he needed all this activity around him, Sehun grew tired. He couldn't take the constant hum forever. Something was either not right or missing and he didn't know what it was.

 

One night when he couldn't stand the little house anymore, Sehun ventured out into the forest. He wasn't angry at anyone, he only wanted some peace and quiet for a little while. It was dark and the sky was clear and Sehun wanted to lay below it, see it, and pretend his worries didn't exist.

 

Finding a clearing in the middle of the wood, Sehun laid himself down in the grass and stared up at the stars. He tried as hard as he could to keep all ugly thoughts away. He replaced such thoughts with stories of constellations and stories of the sky gods. He was certain they didn't exist, but there was some childish part of him that held onto the myths of the old days. They had supplied near endless amounts of entertainment to him as a kid, and they did enough of the job now as well.

 

His father had told him a few of those stories, but Taeyeon told him more. She had a name for the constellations that Sehun had long forgotten, but she told them with all her heart. She was a master storyteller to Sehun's young mind. She was a whole cast fighting battles and a whole band of musicians all at once. There was even a constellation for songbirds.

 

Of course, all these memories brought back sad feelings. Sehun stared up at the autumn sky and traced the invisible shapes with his eyes. One legend of the stars said that those worthy become one of them. Sehun imagined that if the legend were true, Taeyeon would have become the songbird's eye.

 

A shooting star striking a path across the sky pulled Sehun from his thoughts. He smiled at it and closed his eyes, habit telling him to make a wish. The thought had passed quick into his head and was making its way to his lips. But he barely uttered the words, "I wish..." before a high, persistent whistling echoed across the sky. It sounded over the gentle rustling of the trees but was quick to grow into a shrill roar.

 

Sehun's eyes shot open and he sat up, looking around for the source of the sound. It was getting closer and closer and getting so loud Sehun feared it would shatter his eardrums. His hands clamped over his ears as he staggered to his feet. He should leave. Whatever that sound was, it couldn't be good.

 

He started running back towards Kyungsoo's cottage, hands still stuck to his ears. He was about to hit the trees that lined the clearing when he realized it was bright. Brighter than it should have been with only the moon and stars for light.

 

"What-?"

 

He turned his head back, looking up at the sky as he ran. His eyes immediately found the bright light headed his way. It looked like a shooting star, but it was much larger and no longer in the distant sky. It was like the sun and it hurt to stare at for any period of time. Sehun winced, but he couldn't stop looking at it.

 

The bright thing looked like it was flying straight towards him.

 

Sehun yelped at the realization and turned back around. But in the spot in his vision the light had created, he missed the thing in his way.

 

Sehun crashed hard into the solid trunk of a tree.

 

The force he met the tree with sent weakness through him immediately. He crumpled to the ground at the same time the star flew right over his head, through his swimming vision. It smashed through the tree, splitting it in two.

 

The sound of something hitting the ground followed right before Sehun blacked out.

 

\-----

 

When Sehun came to, his head was throbbing.

 

He was slow to open his eyes or make any movement at all. The reason why came back to him and he groaned in pain, managing to finally roll himself onto his side. His hand came up to his face to check his main point of contact with the tree. There was blood there, still sticky.

 

It must not have been long since he passed out. The yet to dry blood was only one clue that led him to that conclusion. The other clue was the smoke in the air. Something had crashed before he passed out. Sehun recalled running from it before knocking himself out.

 

Sehun lurched to his feet and looked through the space where the tree had split. The poor tree wouldn't recover from that impact. Beyond it, there was a new trench in the earth from the star's impact and skid. There was dirt debris everywhere.

 

Head still pounding, Sehun stepped closer to the smoking mass at the resting place of the star. He was curious. Besides, if it tried to kill him, he might as well know how cool his death would have been. It would be better than wasting away in a cell or burning alive.

 

Sehun pushed that thought away and continued forward.

 

Darkness made it difficult to see, but Sehun could see the trench by moonlight. He followed it the short distance to its end and examined the large pile of dirt. Something lay under everything at the end, covered in dirt and twigs and stones. So, to sate his curiosity, Sehun dug through the top layers.

 

His still healing arm protested, but it did not spike with pain as it used to. He dislodged stones and tossed aside twigs. But when he uncovered a foot in the rubble, he shrieked.

 

Someone was under there.

 

He gasped and hurried a few feet over on the pile, digging becoming frantic to let this person breathe. He found their neck first, thin and lined in a strange pattern of glowing freckles. He paused in his confusion for a moment, wishing to touch. But his mind snapped back to the task at hand he moved on.

 

He dug at the space above the neck, looking for a face. What he found was a young man staring back at him. He had long lashes, youthful features, and a slew of the same glowing freckles all over his face. This time, Sehun stopped. The winds whispered something to him that he couldn't understand as he gazed at this young man's face. He was laying in the dirt where the star had crashed. There were cuts and blood everywhere, and that was what got Sehun moving again.

 

Sehun struggled to unearth the person. He didn't want to leave him to get help, but he needed to free him fast. Once free, it was obvious where Sehun would be taking him. There were only two sources of help for miles around, and they was Kyungsoo and Yixing.

 

He finally managed to free the man's upper body from the packed earth. Sehun pulled him into a sitting position to ease the unearthing process. Pulling him the rest of the way out was better than digging through all that. But this was when Sehun realized the man had not a stitch of clothing on him. There were even more of those glowing freckles extending down his torso. In any other situation, Sehun might have looked away from a nude man, but not this time. He needed help more than Sehun needed to hide his embarrassment.

 

Once free, Sehun struggled to get the man onto his shoulders. His legs were strong enough to handle the weight, but there were phantom aches from his whipping. Pulling the man onto his back also caused pain to flare through Sehun's still healing arm. But once the stranger was on his back, Sehun gritted his teeth and made his way back through the forest.

 

In the days since their arrival, Sehun had gone into the woods so many times that he was growing familiar with them. They were different and yet the same woods as the ones below his mountain growing up. He found navigation as easy as it had been back then, even in the dark. The smell of cooked food was also a good indicator of the location of Kyungsoo's house.

 

Sehun hurried up to the lit house, calling for help. "Someone get out here!" he called as soon as he stumbled to the door. The urgency in his voice must have startled them, because the door burst open only a second later. All three of his companions pushed their way out the door, quick to come to his aid. Their eyes widened at the sight of the naked man on Sehun's back.

 

"Who is that?" Jongdae questioned as Yixing and Kyungsoo rushed forward to help. They pulled the stranger off Sehun's back. They were gentle with both the man and Sehun.

 

"I don't know," Sehun answered, allowing the two men to take the person away from him. "He-he fell from the sky!"

 

"What do you mean he fell from the sky?" Kyungsoo questioned with a turn in Sehun's direction. He had a hand looped around the unconscious man's waist. Yixing's hands were already hooked under the man's arms to keep him upright. Gravity was fighting them hard on this one.

 

"Exactly how I said it!" Sehun snapped. "He fell in a ball of light! He looked like a shooting star until he was coming down on top of me."

 

"Now is not the time," Yixing reminded Kyungsoo, adjusting his hold on the slipping man. "He's bleeding and he's in rough shape."

 

"You're right," Kyungsoo said with one look at the damaged boy. "I'm sorry. We'll ask questions later." Then they pulled him into the little house. Sehun didn't even care when they took his bed to administer treatment. The stranger needed it more than he did at this point.

 

Kyungsoo was quick to clean any open wounds on their new guest. He didn't look pleased, but no one minded. He always complained about how everyone around him couldn't stay healthy. Sehun knew it was all for show. Kyungsoo, despite how he acted, would not have taken Sehun with him if he did not like him and want to take care of him. Even if it was only that he felt obligated to finish the job. Sehun knew that Kyungsoo was deep down a very caring person who wanted to help.

 

However, when it came to Yixing, there was some kind of look in his eyes that went deeper than a need to help. His fingers skittered all over the young man's body, looking for any way to stop the pain. Sehun recognized some of the touches and twitching of muscle. It was something that happened often when Yixing knit his own bone back together. It was unnerving to see on someone else. Sehun was at least relieved to note that what they were doing wasn't taking as long as his arm usually took them. The process still managed to take the better part of an hour.

 

Whoever this person was, he was lucky to even survive such a fall. In fact, it was a miracle. When the two healers finally pulled back, they took a simultaneous breath of relief. That much told Sehun that they were out of the woods for now.

 

Kyungsoo sat back after tying off the last of the bandages. His magic was not enough to fix everything, but it was enough to pull the stranger back from the brink of death. Yixing's magic had done more, but it too was not enough to completely heal the young man.

 

 "All right," Kyungsoo said, exhaustion evident in his voice. "That should do for now. When we get some rest, we can do more."

 

Yixing shrank down to his rabbit form and snuggled up against the sleeping young man; tired. "I can look after him for the night," he volunteered. "I'll wake if he stirs."

 

"Well, I must say," Jongdae hummed after his long period of silence, "He's very-"

 

"Lucky." They all said it at the same time. Someone falling from the sky the way Sehun had seen should not have survived that. He was on fire with the light of the heavens when he arrived.

 

That reminded him. He looked back at the boy, now covered in a thick blanket to keep him warm. It was the only thing keeping him decent, now. All the little freckles lay hidden beneath the covers. But Sehun couldn't even see the little glowing freckles on the man's face either. Had he imagined them in his shocked state?

 

"If what Sehun says about his arrival is true," Kyungsoo commented,  "it could have been much worse." He cast Sehun a curious look. Sehun replied with confusion for the situation. 

 

"I thought I was going to die, first," Sehun said, thinking about the moment he saw the falling star. "I heard it before i saw it. Then there was bright light coming right at me. I...fell and he slid across the clearing. That's when I went to dig him up. Though I didn't know it was a person at first. I thought he was going to die on the way to you, to be honest."

 

Sehun only got a ruffle of the hair for those remarks. Kyungsoo looked at him with a small amount of fondness and went to the kitchen to plate up some food for him. When he came back, he held out the plate for Sehun to take.

 

"Eat, child," he said, no venom in his voice whatsoever. It was actually rather teasing. "You've been out half the night. How does your arm feel?"

 

Sehun accepted the food and started to eat. He had been getting thinner and thinner because he didn't have it in him to eat. "It feels better," he admitted. "But picking him up took a lot of effort and there was some pain."

 

Kyungsoo nodded. "Do you need me to make you something to drink to help you sleep tonight?"

 

Sehun shook his head. "I'll be fine."

 

"He is getting stronger again, Kyungsoo," Jongdae said with a proud smile. "You have done a wonderful job thus far." Though he said the words as a means to put Kyungsoo at ease, all they earned Jongdae was a whack on the arm.

 

"I know that," Kyungsoo snapped. "But that doesn't mean his recovery is over. He could still end up with permanent damage and lack of full function if he's not careful." Then he looked at Sehun and cleared his throat. "But I should start letting you lift a few more things. I've been going easy on you to make sure that the spells Yixing has been using firm up. They take a lot out of him, so I don't want to ask him to do them more than necessary."

 

"I understand," Sehun said. It was no question he understood, but it was so frustrating. Kyungsoo and the others treated him like an invalid to protect him. In reality, he was the best judge of what he could handle and what he shouldn't be doing yet. But he also understood that they were babying him a little. After his breakdown in the capital, they didn't want to stress him more than necessary. That was why Jongdae hadn't pushed him to work with his lightning abilities.

 

"Thank you," Kyungsoo said. "And can I have you stay with the boy for a little while?" he asked. "I need some rest, but I'll need to be up in a little while to check on him. And I'm sorry, but Yixing will not wake if the boy does."

 

Sehun looked back at Yixing, curled up in his rabbit form at the stranger's side. He was out like a light and no one would have the heart to disturb him until morning.

 

"Of course," Sehun agreed. "I found him after all. He's kind of my responsibility."

 

"He's not," Jongdae cut in. "You happened to be there first, but he's the responsibility of us all until he's better. Like you are."

 

Sehun glanced at Jongdae and gave a small nod. A sudden surge of guilt rose up in him for the way he had acted the other day when discussing the use of lightning. It had put some tension between them, but Jongdae was quiet about it. Only Sehun seemed to feel it and it was bothering him more now. But there was still time to fix it.

 

"Hey, Jongdae?" Sehun spoke up.

 

"Yes?" Jongdae responded, looking back to his things to put away. He seemed to be making good progress on that whittling project of his. It seemed to be taking the shape of a sword. Sehun wondered if he was growing restless while being so stationary.

 

"Will you teach me again?" Sehun asked, feeling silly as he looked down at the food still on his plate. "Lightning, that is. Prince Yifan won't like it if I continue to ignore it." That last bit, though true, was an excuse. Sehun needed to be able to pretend like he wasn't embarrassed.

 

Jongdae laughed a little, seeing right through him. "Of course, kid. I was only waiting for you to ask." And even though it hadn't been a formal apology, Sehun felt like the rift between them was gone again.

 

After getting used to him, Sehun liked Jongdae. He often tried to explain his initial cold attitude towards the guard, but it was always waved off. Jongdae knew what Sehun had been through and he understood the caution he exercised. But in the weeks together, they nurtured a bond of sorts. Jongdae felt like an older brother.

 

So, if it meant he could remain close with Jongdae, Sehun didn't mind his new power so much. He could learn to protect others with it. Someday, he could protect the weak that can't protect themselves.

 

That acceptance felt so freeing.

 

"Whoa..." Jongdae breathed. Sehun focused again and Jongdae was staring at him with the widest eyes Sehun had ever seen him make. The exclamation caught Kyungsoo's attention as well and his expression mirrored Jongdae's.

 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sehun questioned, twitching with nervousness. Was something crawling on him?

 

"Sehun..." Kyungsoo breathed. "Your... your hair!"

 

Confused, Sehun touched his hair and felt nothing out of the ordinary. "What?" he asked, concerned when they both continued to stare at him like he sprouted a second head. "What's wrong with my hair?"

 

Kyungsoo sprinted out of the room and came back only moments later with a mirror in hand. He handed it over for Sehun to take a look in it. He shrieked and dropped the mirror, shattering it on the floor. Then his hands were in his hair, clawing at his own head in frustration. "What happened to my hair?" he questioned. "It was starlight and now it's...it's gold!"

 

"It changed right before my own eyes, Sehun," Jongdae said. "You asked me to teach you again and it turned gold a few moments later."

 

"But nothing happened," Sehun cried. Jongdae and Kyungsoo weren't so much worried about this being a sad thing. It was only strange and a bit surprising at its sudden appearance. But it was quite obvious that Sehun was becoming upset by this turn of events. He wanted his starlight hair back. That was the only physical reminded he had of his mother. The only other thing he inherited from her aside from his wind powers.

 

"Sehun," Kyungsoo called, coming to the younger boy's side. He was careful to avoid the shards of glass on the floor, stepping to the side. "What's wrong?"

 

"My mother," Sehun whispered, the tears coming to him far too quick and easy. The tears seemed to come too easy these days, period. "My mother's hair. That was all I had," he whispered, trying to keep his emotions in check. It wasn't working. "And now it's gone."

 

"Oh, Sehun," Kyungsoo muttered, putting a gentle hand around Sehun's shoulders. "I'm sure you can bring it back. This is the doing of magic."

 

"But how?" Sehun questioned, desperate for a solution. "I don't know how it happened in the first place or why."

 

"Sehun," Jongdae said, taking Sehun from Kyungsoo and gripping him by the shoulders. "This is your magic. Remember that. It may be wild and difficult for you to tame, but you can do whatever you want with it. Believe that you are capable of it."

 

"But what if I can't?" Sehun blubbered. "What if it's gone forever?"

 

"Sehun, please, calm down," Jongdae said with a slight teasing smile. "You'll start another storm."

 

And because Sehun had been doing well on that front so far, he tried to calm down. He didn't want to ruin all the control he had already learned. He took a few shaky breaths and sighed.

 

"Good. Now, don't worry," Jongdae continued. "I'm sure your mother's hair color is under there somewhere. But you're going to have to find it on your own. Yeah?"

 

Sehun nodded, feeling like a small child. He would have to figure this out on his own. His gifts didn't manifest in physical characteristics in most cases, so he didn't know what he was going to do. This wasn't going to be easy. When he wanted winds to blow, he had to push the power outward to get things to happen. Figuring this out might require some meddling with his inward magic. That had the potential to be more confusing.

 

For now, he wiped his eyes and told them he was okay. The two of them were reluctant to leave him, but they finally stopped their fussing. He said good night to both Kyungsoo and Jongdae and went to sit by the unconscious boy's bedside. He could try to think of something to amuse himself with while he watched the young man. Jongdae and Kyungsoo went to bed after making sure Sehun would be all right. Yixing hadn't budged an inch after using all that magic. He was too tired to do anything else. Kyungsoo was right; Yixing wouldn't wake if the boy did.

 

Sehun watched the sleeping boy for a while before he decided to do a little bit of meditation. He closed his eyes and placed his hands in his lap while he looked within himself for a time. He found his wind magic immediately, already familiar and even comfortable these days. There were still things he found difficult to do, but he was learning. He had to practice precision with his commands to the wind and it was coming easier every passing day.

 

His lightning magic was also easy to find, though it still felt foreboding, distant, and a little scary. But Sehun tried to think of Jongdae and how he was a kind person that he considered a friend. He knew that this gift couldn't be evil by nature and it deserved a chance to be part of Sehun as much as his wind did.

 

Sehun continued to examine it for a time, his subconscious flitting about it, curious but wary. He had to build up some bravery before he finally allowed his mind to touch it. That single touch sent him into a scary place, much like the one he had been to on the boat. He fell from his chair short seconds after touching it. His body started to convulse on the floor, struggling with the power coursing through him.

 

Sehun's approach to the cloud was not one of fear, this time. It was of attempted acceptance of the gift. Even though his powers were not like people, as Jongdae had said, he wanted this power to be a friend to him, not an enemy. If he treated it like an enemy, it would always have power over him and that was not what he wanted. If it had power over him, he could lose control of it as he had lost control of the wind. But this was a much more damaging power to lose control of.

 

The surging electricity flickered.

 

A comforting hand fell in the center of his chest.

 

Sehun could not open his eyes to see who it was, but he felt a surge of relief blow through him. It was like a gust of wind through a canyon, filling the cracks and moving quick through the space. The lightning gave up, it's crackling and thundering diminishing and then ceasing. 

 

The hand on his chest supplied Sehun with strength, though a gentle strength. He still couldn't control his limbs, and his head throbbed, but he felt like he had more control. The cloud of energy in him seemed to agree. After a short conversation between his conscious and the magic, it finally gave in. The lightning accepted Sehun as its master and took on the same lovely aura as his wind's magic did. It felt comfortable at last.

 

Sehun's body stopped convulsing. and he was out of breath, but he felt relieved and he had found a small sense of peace. It had taken thoughts of protecting others to open his mind, but he was here. He could make strides forward after this. No one would have to protect him again someday. With that thought, he opened his eyes from his meditation.

 

One of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen met his vision. Sehun's eyes widened in curiosity and he found the doe eyes that paired with that smile.

 

The boy that had fallen from the sky was leaning over him, face bruised and patched with gauze. He was alive, and he appeared to be doing rather well despite his current state. His hand was still resting on Sehun's chest. He had been that person giving him strength to face his wild magic.

 

"Y-you..." Sehun breathed, not able to give as strong of a reaction as as he would have otherwise. He didn't have the energy after that face off to back away from the stranger. He didn't know how to make his arms push the young man away. His eyes glanced up at the still sleeping rabbit on the bed and then back at the young man hovering over him.

 

"Call me Luhan," the boy said, stroking Sehun's hair from his face. "I came from places you cannot reach."

 

"Places... I can't reach?" Sehun repeated in a daze. He was losing consciousness because of his exhaustion. He tried to grasp at the threads of it, trying to stay awake. "Luhan?"

 

The boy nodded. "Yes," he said, that graceful quirk of the lips still there. "I like that name." Then he added something, a whisper of a soft command that Sehun didn't mind following. "Rest."

 

And then Sehun was out like a light.


	7. Chapter 7

Of the things Sehun expected to find in the morning, for last night to be a silly dream was one of them. Seeing four people at breakfast without him was not one of them. Sehun sat up, hair sticking up in many unusual directions as he scanned the immediate area. Yixing was the first to notice Sehun's waking and he looked over Kyungsoo's turned back to get a better look.

 

"He's finally awake," he said, alerting everyone to Sehun's state.

 

"Well," Jongdae said with a bright smile on his face as he turned to the youngest of their little band of misfits. "Get yourself over here and have breakfast. You'll need all your energy for today."

 

Sehun tilted his head in confusion, but he got to his feet and came to the table. They squeezed another chair in to accommodate an extra body, but it was an uncomfortable fit. Kyungsoo's table was, in truth, too small for this, but they made due. Sehun's chair found himself pushed right up against Luhan's chair. It left him feeling a little awkward sitting this close to a stranger, but Luhan didn't seem to notice.

 

Sehun tried to get comfortable in his seat, and that was about when Luhan finally looked up at him. He gave Sehun that same gorgeous smile from last night, all teeth and gentle creases of his features. Sehun stared at it, unsure of how to respond at first.

 

"Good morning," Luhan greeted, his voice soft and sweet.

 

"G-good morning..." Sehun greeted back, still feeling strange. He dug into his food to take his mind off things.

 

"Luhan tells us you two met last night," Kyungsoo hummed. "But his reasons for excusing you from telling anyone he was awake were a little vague."

 

Sehun shrank a little bit. If he had been less exhausted, he would have gone and gotten Kyungsoo as soon as he realized Luhan had woken. But things had happened as they did and there was nothing he could do now. Didn't stop Kyungsoo from making those expressions of irritation. Sehun liked to avoid those. 

 

"I was trying to come to terms with my lightning again," Sehun told him. "But when I meditated, it struck at me the way it did on the ship. So, when it was over, I was too tired to get up."

 

"That would at least explain why no one could wake you for breakfast this morning," Yixing muttered. "I all but shouted in your ear to get you to wake up, but nothing."

 

"Kind of assumed you were dead," Jongdae admitted with a smile. "But Kyungsoo said he could see the rise and fall of your chest from halfway across the house."

 

"It's an obvious sign of life, Jongdae," Kyungsoo huffed. "No need to go burying the living. Don't the royal guard accept people with some level of intelligence?"

 

Jongdae laughed and so did Luhan who seemed to find everything amusing. He looked a lot better than he had the night before. He was still covered in bandages, but he was moving around as if he weren't injured at all. It was as if the injuries didn't bother him one bit. Sehun averted his eyes and went back to his food when he feared someone might catch him staring. He didn't want to look like a strange person to their new guest.

 

Jongdae did seem interested in the meditation that Sehun had done, though. He stuffed another bite into his mouth, swallowed after almost no chewing. Then he moved on to his question.

 

"How did chatting with your power go, anyway?" Jongdae asked.

 

Sehun smiled a little at that question. "Well," he answered with some confidence bubbling up in him. "It went well. I don't know. When we finished...uh, 'talking', it felt like we had reached a truce."

 

Beside him, Sehun noticed Luhan tense and then relax his hands. A quick glance at his face told Sehun he looked almost proud.

 

Jongdae's smile got brighter as he took in Sehun's words. "That's great to hear," he hummed. "You might make progress now!"

 

He was eager to test that hypothesis a lot sooner than Sehun would have liked. Right after breakfast, Jongdae insisted on taking Sehun out to attempt control again. Sehun complained that he had eaten too much and didn't want to. Jongdae wasn't listening.

 

Yixing ventured into the forest in search of something to do. He said something about herbs and medicines and no one questioned what he was doing. Kyungsoo stayed inside, cleaning up after breakfast and mixing whatever Yixing brought back. Luhan chose to watch Sehun and Jongdae's magic session while he rested.

 

Sehun, though nervous, did have a better command of his lighting today. It was a relief to see that the electricity was not only easier to call, but friendlier. No longer did Sehun shock himself with every call of the gift. It skittered up his arms in playful curves that almost tickled. And by the end of practice, he was able to make it arc from one hand to the other. He could even create small, condensed balls of electricity in his hands. It was nothing like Jongdae's control yet, but he was well on his way to learning at long last.

 

"I told you," Jongdae said with a pat on Sehun's back. Sehun noted with relief that such actions did not hurt anymore. Pats on the back didn't even produce phantom pains anymore. At least something was going back to normal. "Accepting the gift was a help to you," Jongdae finished. "You can't fight power like that. It's not going to go anywhere. It will bring about negative side effects."

 

"I tried to find a good way to think of it. I still think of it as dangerous and a weapon," Sehun admitted. "But now I'm trying to consider it a way of someday protecting people. After I started thinking that way, accepting it was easier."

 

"Is that how you came to terms with your wind abilities?" Luhan asked from the side.

 

Sehun looked at Luhan and shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I was born with the wind," he told Luhan. "I've always known it. I know how dangerous it can be, but I also know it's gentle side. It can bring cool breezes in the summer, and warm winds to help seeds spread." He held out a hand in Luhan's direction and called on the wind to supply him with a little proof. He produced a small gust to ruffle the boy's golden-brown locks. Luhan giggled and swatted at the invisible magic. Sehun gave him a stiff smile. "But wind can also rip trees from the ground and tear houses from their foundations. I used it to protect myself once, and it brought me here."

 

Composing himself, Luhan took in what Sehun had said. "You would not have come here?" Luhan asked with a blink. Sehun shook his head.

 

"As awful as my past home was, I would have lived there for the rest of my life if nothing had happened." It was honest. Sehun knew it to be the truth. Change was often scary and Sehun had done many things to keep change at bay. He could have told his father of Sir Choi, but his father would have done something about it. Sehun wanted him to remain oblivious. That way, nothing of significance would change.

 

The answer seemed to make Luhan look sad.

 

"I'm glad it happened," Luhan finally said. "You deserve better than a life devoid of happiness."

 

Sehun only had a small smile to offer in response. He didn't tell Luhan about the new, red scars on his back. He didn't mention the shattered bones in his arm where fragile magic had knit him back together. He didn't want to make Luhan feel bad about being glad he protected himself.

 

But even if he had said something about it, Luhan might have still held firm. There was a fire in his eyes that told Sehun so. Luhan was a lot stronger than he was currently letting on, in both body and spirit. His thoughts were completely his own and no one would change them but himself.

 

Sehun looked away from those eyes when Jongdae called him back to attention. Practice was over, but instruction was not. Sehun remained aware of the eyes on him as he listened to more of Jongdae's lectures. He tried not to think about them too much. But those wide, passionate eyes were sweet like a doe's and ever curious. But, while curious, they held a secret wisdom of their own. It brought forward many questions, but Sehun couldn't bring himself to voice any of them.

 

At the end of the day, Sehun went back to his now shared room and made use of the bed while no one else was in there. Practice had taken a lot out of him, but he was feeling a sudden need to hit the road again. Every day he thought about Taeyeon and how much he owed her. His life should have been the one to fade away. But she had taken his place. He owed her his life, and she asked for something small by comparison. He needed to fulfill his promise to Taeyeon. The problem was, he was still healing, and he had no idea where to begin anyway.

 

He took out the moonstone that sat heavy in his pocket and looked at it. The moon had risen in the sky only an hour ago. It now sat in his window, showering him with buckets of cool moonlight. Sehun held the little stone up until it appeared to match with the round, bright shape in the sky. The light shone bright through the gray-blue shades of the stone.

 

It was beautiful, and Sehun wondered where Taeyeon had acquired a gem of such perfection. Why she had given it to him? How was this going to help him find her lost brother? And what was this curse that the two unfortunate siblings suffered from?

 

He couldn't bring them together anymore, and that saddened him. It was too late to renew their bond. But more than that, would the curse prevent him from finding Jongin? He sighed and closed the moonstone in his hand, clutching it to his chest. What should he do? Where should he start?

 

"That looks familiar."

 

Sehun bolted upright and looked at the door to the room, startled. He hadn't expected someone to be there, watching him. But there stood Luhan, arms behind his back as he looked at Sehun. Sehun sighed in relief, letting his sudden panic fade, quick as it had appeared in his throat.

 

"I don't know why," Sehun hummed. "It's a little moonstone. There's many more of them somewhere in this world, right?"

 

Luhan shook his head. "Yours is something special," he tried again. "It has something about it that I recognize. But I could be wrong. I don't know." His face seemed to scrunch up at the thought and he seemed to be struggling with something in his memory. Then his eyes lit up. "I know!" he finally bubbled. "Have the Moon Witch look at it for you! She'll know!"

 

"Moon Witch?" Sehun repeated, staring back at Luhan with a dumb expression. Then the connotations of the word "witch" came to him and he was quick to shake his head. "If she's a witch, I don't know if I want to go anywhere near her."

 

"Oh, but she's not that bad," Luhan hummed, waving his hand past the tip of his nose in dismissal. "You have to bring her a gift, but as far as I know, she's not picky. She only wants something thoughtful."

 

"What could I get a witch that she would approve of?" Sehun asked. "I would rather not get myself turned into a toad." Luhan shrugged.

 

"She could do a lot worse than turn you into a toad," Luhan laughed. "But it's like I said, you have to think about it. Don't worry about it too much. If you want to see the Moon Witch, you must travel quite a way, first. You'll have plenty of time to think of something she would like."

 

Sehun wasn't so sure this was a good idea, but he did give Luhan's suggestion some thought. He had no other leads, and if this Moon Witch could help him, then it might be worth a long trek to visit her. He looked back at Luhan for a moment, still noting the scrunched expression on his face.

 

"All right," Sehun sighed. "Where is she, then?"

 

Luhan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came to his lips. He was quick to shut his mouth again, looking sheepish. "I forgot."

 

Sehun stared at Luhan in disbelief for a moment before dropping his head into his palms. He couldn't believe this. That was the most useless bit of helpful information he had ever received.

 

"I know someone who can help you," a voice said. Kyungsoo entered the room, dusting one of his knickknacks that he kept in the living area. He must have been cleaning and overheard. "You know him too, actually. You met on the boat and again in the city."

 

Sehun thought back to his brief stay in the city. He had met very few people there, and one of them had been the boy at the shrine. The other had been-

 

"Chanyeol?" Sehun asked, the name coming back to him. "Tall guy in a red cloak who serves the royal family? He knows where to find the Moon Witch?"

 

Kyungsoo nods. " I know for a fact he can at the very least tell you something of use. He has never spoken of knowing who the Moon Witch is or where you can find her, but I know he can help. Chanyeol has a lot of secrets and a lot of connections."

 

Now, that was good news. Sehun felt his hopes rise, and he was already thinking of packing up and leaving. But Kyungsoo raised a finger to halt his thoughts. He seemed to see exactly where Sehun's head was going.

 

"But you need to finish healing, first," he reminded Sehun. "I'm not sending you off on an adventure without giving you your best chance at living through it. And that requires you to be in good shape."

 

In this forest, Kyungsoo's word was law. Sehun deflated and sank down onto the bed once more. He would be stuck here for who knows how long. He didn't even know what Kyungsoo's standard of "good shape" was. If it was completely rehabilitated, that could take months. Luhan came over and leaned over him with an apologetic smile.

 

"I can help."

 

Sehun glared up at him in annoyance. "Sure you can," he grumbled, disbelieving. But then there was a familiar bright light emitting from Luhan and he was reaching towards Sehun. "Whoa!" Sehun shouted, jumping up from the bed to get away from Luhan's glowing fingers. "What are you doing?" he demanded. It was already weird enough letting Yixing and Kyungsoo touch him with their magic hands. At least they told him what they were doing.

 

"I'm helping," Luhan repeated himself, mimicking Sehun's annoyance. He even stamped his foot, much like Sehun did when he was feeling picked on or childish. "Hold still!"

 

"No way!" Sehun said, rushing out of the room. He found safety behind a very confused Yixing who had only walked in the door a moment prior. "Keep him away from me," he whined, pointing to Luhan.

 

"What's going on?" Yixing questioned in an irate tone. He didn't like all this noise. Even as a human, his hearing was sensitive, and he didn't like loud noises.

 

"I want to help!" Luhan informed Yixing, letting his hands fade back to their normal color." Yixing cast a confused glance at Kyungsoo as if he might offer an explanation. Kyungsoo wasn't sure what had happened either. Neither of them recognized that form of magic that Luhan seemed to exude. It was also present around his wounds the morning after he woke up after his crash to earth.

 

"Luhan," Kyungsoo said, breaking the confused tension. "May I ask again where you came from?"

 

Luhan laughed at that, seeming to find something amusing and yet trivial. "I'm not sure I should tell you that, yet," he hummed, voice both playful and serious as he placed his hands behind his back. Kyungsoo, confused by that response, sighed.

 

"Sehun, you don't have to let him touch you if that makes you nervous," he said. "I would be nervous not knowing where that magic came from, too." Sehun nodded and Luhan stuck his tongue out at the two of them.

 

"Fine! Don't take my help!" he huffed. "I only wanted to speed things up. But we can do this the slow way if you want." He went back to the room and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, locking it from within. It looked like Sehun and Yixing weren't getting a bed that night.

 

"Great!" Yixing whined, turning to shove a finger at Sehun's chest. "You made him mad. Guess I'll be sleeping with Kyungsoo tonight."

 

"Not my fault he won't tell me what he's doing with that magic!" Sehun retorted, batting Yixing's hand away. He didn't like surprises. If Luhan would be up front about what exactly he was going to do, Sehun would be more inclined to let him. Even though he himself was magical, he had grown up fearing magic as much as loving it. The strange looks Kyungsoo and Yixing were giving each other made him more nervous as well.

 

"So, can anyone tell me what type of magic he was going to use?" Jongdae asked from the door. But everyone shook their heads.

 

"Usually you can feel the aura," Kyungsoo said. Then he turned to Sehun, knowing he needed the explanation more than Jongdae did. "Your wind, Jongdae's wind, Chanyeol's fire, and my earth are all different. I've never felt anything like Luhan's magic before."

 

Though this topic was fascinating, Sehun's attention deviated to other places.

 

"Wait, Chanyeol can do magic, too?" he asked. Kyungsoo and Jongdae both burst into loud fits of laughter at that question. Sehun looked at the both of them in confusion. "I fail to see what is so funny!" he growled.

 

But neither of them replied until they were both finishing up their laughing fits. Even then, it wasn't them who replied. Yixing turned to him once the noise had died down and asked, "You couldn't feel it rolling off him?"

 

That question only further confused Sehun. "Feel what?" he asked.

 

By this point Kyungsoo was going back to normal and wiping the tears of laughter off his face with an amused smile. "Go ahead and explain, Yixing," he said, still holding back his giggles. "He wasn't brought up around magical people. He might not know how to tune into that kind of thing."

 

"Useless upbringing," Yixing muttered before turning back to Sehun. "Chanyeol is powerful," he informed the boy. "Very powerful. Anyone paying attention can feel the heat coming off him. It's a different kind of heat than you are imagining. He has very fine-tuned control over his power, but magic users are able to sense it as an aura. Fire presents itself as heat."

 

"Chanyeol is the most powerful mage in our country," Jongdae added. He had finally recovered from the stitch in his side that he received from laughing so hard. "I'd actually be willing to bet he's more powerful than any mage in the world. It's why he's so close to the royal family. They know how powerful he is and he's more than happy to help them."

 

"He could teach you the finer points of magic that I'm not able to," Jongdae pointed out. "He's also got this tone about him that tells you he's a good person. Making friends with him would be a smart move on your part."

 

"I'm not about advantage," Sehun muttered. "I want to find Taeyeon's brother, give him her message, and find a way to get back to my first home to give her a proper burial. I would also like to find my father, but who knows if that will ever happen." He sighed and hung his head in his hands.

 

"I don't know about finding your father, Sehun," Jongdae said, voice soft as a hand came to rub his back. "But I know Chanyeol can help you with finding the Moon Witch. He seemed to like you when you met in the market. I would assume meeting on the boat was also pleasant. I'm sure he'd be happy to help you in all the ways he is able to."

 

Sehun looked up at that and Jongdae seemed both certain and genuine. It eased his mind a little. He looked at Kyungsoo and asked, "How long until you see me fit to travel?" he asked.

 

"You're still weak," Kyungsoo hummed. "You need to build your strength and the aches need to go away. The bones have pulled together on their surface, and that's good. But I suspect the deeper cracks have yet to repair themselves yet, making them still fragile. You are still at risk of renewed breaks if you're not careful. I would say a few weeks of careful exercise to build your strength back up and you will be good enough to travel."

 

"A few weeks?" Sehun groaned. "I don't know if I can sit around that long." But if he had no choice, he had no choice.

 

"Chanyeol won't have returned before then anyway," Jongdae told Sehun. "He had another mission handed to him before we left. He's halfway across the ocean by now."

 

"It's a good think you have to wait," Yixing said. "If you go after that man without thinking, you could very well get yourself worse than a broken arm. And that's not much of a birthday gift."

 

Sehun knew they were right, but he didn't like all this sitting around. It made him feel useless. But his determination to recover never wavered. He needed to leave this place and find Jongin. Not to mention he hated the long list of things Kyungsoo deemed him unfit to do. Currently he was stuck at house work and reading.

 

"What can I lift right now, do you think?" he asked Kyungsoo. "I can start doing extra chores if it gets me my strength back."

 

"The buckets of water are a huge benefit to you," Kyungsoo said. "I would suggest you lift bundles of wood for the fire, but I would also have someone else chop the wood for now. Don't draw your bow. I know you miss it, but it puts too much strain on your muscles for now. You do realize when your bones shattered they dug into your muscles, right? They're still recovering too."

 

"I know," Sehun responded. He flexed his arm and felt the sting of such an action. It had becoming much more tolerable in the last week thanks to the magic therapy. The braces and sling were long gone by now and he was making good progress. But all that progress was still very fragile. Yixing and Kyungsoo could only do so much at once.

 

Kyungsoo gave him more alternatives for working different muscles when Sehun asked again. He reminded him of his limits, but Sehun could feel these next few weeks were going to be hell on earth. He glanced in the direction of Luhan's closed door and wondered if he should ask for details about his magic. If Luhan could speed this whole process up, it would save him a lot of pain. But would it matter if Chanyeol was not there to speak with him when Sehun arrived back in the capital? No, but there were one or two other things that Sehun wanted to do in a big city such as the capital, after all.

 

It didn't matter right now anyway. He had angered Luhan and it would be better approached if he asked about it tomorrow. Then Luhan's anger might have subsided.

 

But when Sehun woke for breakfast the next morning, Luhan was gone. Kyungsoo was, too.

 

"Where did they go?" he asked Jongdae and Yixing as they all sat around the table. Jongdae had taken the job of cooking this morning.

 

"Kyungsoo said there were some things he needed to pick up from town," he said, waving off the concern with his hand. "He'll be back in a few days. Luhan asked to go with him. Seemed pretty eager to look around. Kyungsoo couldn't say no." He took a bite of his food and that was the end of it.

 

Meanwhile, Yixing produced a slip of paper with writing on it and handed it to Sehun. He looked down at what he had grown to know as Kyungsoo's practiced script. Sehun knew how to read this, but this soon after waking up, all the letters jumbled before his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and squinted to try to get the lines to behave.

 

"It's a list of tasks he wants complete while he's gone," Yixing hummed. "You wanted to start building your strength again. So, he's giving you more to do. If you can't read anything on the list, ask for one of us to help you."

 

Sehun didn't know whether to be happy or frustrated. On the one hand, he got exactly what he wanted. On the other hand, his slow reading skills were telling him he had more work to complete. He sighed and finished breakfast. He'd have to start on these right away if he was going to get everything done. He still had to practice magic with Jongdae and practice his reading, as well.

 

The first tasks were cleaning tasks that all demanded a high level of detail. Yixing and Jongdae would both be his supervisors on this task. If Sehun missed anything, they would have him go back and do those tasks again. When applicable, Kyungsoo even approved the use of Sehun's powers to help him clean. But Sehun knew the whole point of most of this cleaning was all the necessary scrubbing. It was all low stress exercise and he would be able to tell when he was overworking himself.

 

There were tasks of lifting as well. Moving things around from one location to the next and bringing wood into the house for the fire. Jongdae still chopped the wood for him and helped with the heavier items. But Sehun did most of the assigned work.

 

He even took their clothes to the river to wash and hung everything out to dry. His hands were freezing, but he liked feeling useful again after all this time.

 

It felt like chores back home. The ones that he would put off for too long before he finally got around to them. The ones he and Taeyeon would do when she arrived and complained about the state of their home.

 

After three days, Sehun finally finished his list from Kyungsoo. That night, he laid in bed and silent tears fell down his face. Everything hurt. These chores had taken a lot out of him after such a period of doing almost nothing. But that wasn't why he was crying. All the thoughts of Taeyeon had bubbled to the surface during the past three days and he couldn't take it. She had smiled at him while he left her to die for him. Such a bright light was gone, and it was because he couldn't have told the truth.

 

No more nagging sister figure. No more bird calls. No more childhood. It was all gone with her death. But not her pain. Her pain was still very much alive, twisting Sehun's heart with every breath he took.

 

\-----

 

When Sehun woke on the morning of the fourth day, no one was in the house. He sat up and was already confused by the absence of Yixing's rabbit form at his side. But when he got up, Yixing wasn't making breakfast either. He wasn't in Kyungsoo's bedroom and neither was Jongdae.

 

"Yixing?" Sehun called into the little house. "Jongdae?"

 

"We're outside, Sehun!" Jongdae responded. "Come out! We have something for you!"

 

Sehun paused, confusion riddling his brain for a moment. Something for him? Why would they have anything to give him? But he put on something a little warmer to combat the morning chill and left the house.

 

Even opening the door brought surprises, because Kyungsoo and Luhan had returned. All four of his friends stood together, varying smiles on their faces. Luhan, despite their disagreement the other day still appeared the brightest. Yixing's smile was the softest, but his eyes were smiling.

 

"What's going on?" Sehun asked, looking at them with a little nervousness.

 

Jongdae chuckled a little. "Do you think any of us missed that comment Yixing made about your birthday?" he asked.

 

Sehun blinked once, twice, and realization dawned on him. He had forgotten his own birthday. So much had been going on that it completely fell through the cracks. Not to mention Sehun had spent some indeterminable amount of time out cold when this all started. Keeping track of the days wasn't easy.

 

Kyungsoo's and Luhan's quick departure the next day also made sense, now. They had gone to buy something for him.

 

"Guys..." he whispered, feeling a little emotional and thankful. "You didn't have to do anything."

 

"We wanted to," Kyungsoo said with certainty. "Life hasn't been easy for you the past few weeks. We wanted to make you feel a little better."

 

Sehun smiled, but he didn't notice the things in their hands until Jongdae was offering his to him first. "I have two gifts for you, Sehun," the guard said, smiling. "I've been whittling, as you know. But when I knew your birthday was coming, I had to give you something you would use. I know accepting lightning was hard for you. But you like the thought of protecting people. So, I'm giving you a practice sword to begin learning how to protect what is most important to you."

 

Then he handed over a wooden sword, whittled from the branches of the trees around them. It was light, and Sehun knew a true sword would be much heavier. It would allow him to practice technique and handling without hurting himself.

 

"And your second gift," Jongdae continued, holding out something much smaller. This one was far more real and solid. Jongdae placed a sheathed dagger into Sehun's hands, letting the weight settle. "For your protection. Keep it with you. I know you don't like to talk about it, but Yixing tells me enough. You are an attractive young man, Sehun, and you appear quite frail to others. If you should ever come to unwanted attention, don't fear protecting yourself. And more than that, there are robbers and criminals in the woods and on the roads. Don't let them harm you if you can help it."

 

Sehun looked down at the two gifts from Jongdae and realized their weight. He was giving him everything he needed to begin learning another skill. He would need a teacher to be there at all times, but he would cross that bridge when he got there.

 

"Thank you," he said, earnest.

 

Jongdae ruffled Sehun's hair and moved him on to Yixing.

 

Yixing didn't have much to say, and he only had one small gift, but Sehun didn't mind. Yixing produced a corded necklace for him. It held a little pendant and a black and yellow feather. There was a symbol carved into the pendant that both felt familiar and unknown to Sehun at the same time.

 

"This will protect you as long as you wear it," Yixing told him. "It will bring luck better than any rabbit's foot." Then he put it around Sehun's neck himself and moved him on, wanting to avoid the thanks. Sehun smiled a little at him and let it be.

 

Kyungsoo also had two gifts, but he maintained that they were one package. "I know reading isn't easy for you," Kyungsoo said. "But it is a skill you will find useful and fulfilling. Enjoy both sides of it." Then he gave him two books: one he recognized, and the other he didn't. The one he didn't recognize was a story of adventure and love. The other was Kyungsoo's book on plants.

 

"You're giving me this?" Sehun asked, stunned.

 

Kyungsoo nodded, a smirk on his face. "You will need it much more than I will. And if I need it again someday, I can always get another. Make good use of it. Don't starve because you can't find anything to hunt."

 

"I won't," Sehun promised. Kyungsoo moved him on.

 

Luhan was the last person in line, and all he held was a package wrapped in cloth. He handed it to Sehun and waited for him to open it up. Sehun looked between Luhan and the package before finally undoing the knots.

 

Inside the cloth wrap sat a swath of pristine white material. The maker lined the edges in gold embroidered patterns and the cloth itself was of fine quality. Sehun expected nobles to be able to afford such an item.

 

Luhan reached into Sehun's line of sight to take the item from its resting place. He opened it up so that Sehun could see the gold cord in front and the holes for arms. There was even a hood attached.

 

"A cloak," Luhan said, filling in what Sehun was thinking. "It's yours, but I have not finished it yet."

 

"What do you mean you haven't finished it yet?" Sehun asked. "Did you make this?"

 

Luhan shook his head, laughing. "No," he answered. "I only wanted to make it special."

 

"It already is special," Sehun assured him. "I've never seen a more beautiful cloak."

 

"Please," Luhan said, smiling, "let me keep it a little longer. Think of this as a special viewing of a gift you will receive later."

 

Sehun hesitated, but Luhan looked so ready for the work that Sehun couldn't bring himself to deny him. "All right," he agreed. "I'll look forward to it."

 

Sehun felt his stomach flip when Luhan's smile got even brighter. But before Sehun could take the cloak back to wrap it up once more, Luhan opened it up and held it up to Sehun. "But I would like to see you in it once before I put it away."

 

Sehun blinked and nodded. He turned his back to have Luhan slip the fabric over his shoulders. It felt warm and not too heavy. And Sehun wished he knew if it suited him. It felt far too grand for someone like him.

 

Luhan tied the cord in front to shut the cloak around Sehun.

 

"It's a bit long," Luhan noted. "But you'll still grow a little more. It'll be perfect."

 

Sehun smiled down as the man before him stepped back to admire how he looked in the cloak.

 

Sehun was about to offer his thanks again to everyone, but Kyungsoo stepped forward.

 

"We have one more gift for you," Kyungsoo said. "This one was Luhan's idea, but he insists it isn't from him."

 

Sehun's brow furrowed as he removed the cloak to put it away. He looked at Luhan and asked, "Who is it from?"

 

"You will know when you see it," Luhan assured him.

 

"You are now eighteen, yes?" Kyungsoo asked. Sehun nodded. "Then I can give this to you. I worried you weren't old enough."

 

From his satchel, he produced a bottle filled with a bright yellow liquid. Sehun's eyes widened. He knew exactly what that was.

 

"Sun spirits," he whispered. Luhan was right. Sehun knew exactly who this gift was from.

 

"With all her love," Luhan said, collecting the cloak from Sehun, "Taeyeon wishes you a happy birthday."

 

\-----

 

That night, everyone prepared Sehun a large birthday dinner. They had well-seasoned meat and potatoes and a variety of vegetables to pick from. But it was the alcohol that Sehun awaited most. Taeyeon had told him he would like it, but it was more than getting drunk that he was looking forward to. It was Taeyeon's gift to him, and he hadn't gotten the chance to drink the bottle she brought him only a few weeks prior.

 

At his very first sip, he realized she had been right. Sehun liked the taste of it and he went back for more as soon as his first cup was empty. Jongdae explained that it was sweeter than the mead he usually had with his fellow soldiers. Sehun wondered if he would like that, too.

 

At first, he was having fun. It was his birthday and there was laughter and food for him to eat. There were even expensive fruits brought out for dessert. But as he drank, and the night grew old, Sehun began to feel the effects of the alcohol on his body.

 

It was a delay in his sight and then his reactions. Then it was a little stumble of the feet and a pause in his thoughts while speaking. He knew where he was and what he was doing. He even knew what he was saying and why he was saying it. But the alcohol dulled him down until he was sleepy with it and thinking too much.

 

He spied Luhan in the living room and dropped down close to him on the floor cushions. Sehun can't say for sure what made him pick Luhan, but he knows it was an alcohol and attraction inspired choice. He looked away from the book he was reading and smiled at Sehun. Sehun tried to lean into his lap to see what he was reading, but it all blurred, and letters jumped across the page.

 

"Can I help you with something, Sehun?" Luhan asked in a soft voice.

 

Sehun tried to push off the thoughts of how Luhan sounded so nice. Then he cleared his throat and the thing that had been bothering him for three days finally came out. "You off'red help to me a few day 'go," Sehun reminded him, words more slurred than he thought they would be.

 

It seemed like if he were sober, he wouldn't have been so blunt about the topic. In fact, if he were sober, he might have stewed on it for another few days and picked Yixing or Jongdae to talk to instead. But here he was.

 

"Yes," Luhan hummed. "I remember. I also remember you refused it."

 

"'Cause I di'n't know what you were doing," Sehun blurted, rushing to defend himself. "What 'ere you going to do to me anyway?"

 

Luhan looked back at his book with a small giggle. Sehun didn't know what was so funny, but he liked Luhan's laugh.

 

"I was going to heal you," Luhan finally answered, closing his book. He set it aside and turned to give Sehun his full attention. "You've been in pain for a while now and I know you want to leave. I can't make it all go away at once, but I can speed up the pace."

 

"So, can Yixing," Sehun pointed out. But Luhan shook his head.

 

"I can do more powerful spells than Yixing," he said, voice sweet, as if he were speaking to a child. Sehun didn't mind. He was feeling silly like a child anyway. "There are very...very few people who can withstand the tolls of these spells. But I can."

 

"Tolls?" Sehun muttered, not liking the term. "You mean like the energy required?" Luhan nodded.

 

"The energy is huge for these spells," he continued. "But I can do it. Yixing is powerful, but he has a limit that I currently don't have."

 

"What d’you mean 'currently'?" Sehun asked, still not liking this one bit.

 

"It doesn't matter right now," Luhan huffed. Sehun gave him a skeptical look and Luhan sighed. "Sometime, I can tell you what I mean. But right now, it's better if I don't. Do you want me to perform the spells or not?"

 

Sehun stared at Luhan for a few moments, head beginning to pound and his throat growing dry. He was so sick and tired of sitting around and doing chores. Kyungsoo was being cautious. He didn't want to injure Sehun again. But chores only brought his strength back by marginal amounts. Sehun needed something to work faster, but was this option safe? He didn't know and neither did anyone else. He could only trust Luhan on this. It must have been the alcohol that told him everything would be fine, because he sighed and nodded his head.

 

"Do it," he breathed. "Please help me recover."

 

He held out his arm for Luhan the way he did when Kyungsoo and Yixing worked on him. Luhan smiled at the trust and pulled Sehun down into a laid-back position. Then he called on his magic. He reached forward as his fingers started to glow a bright light and ran his fingers up and down Sehun's thin arm. Sehun ached everywhere from the amount of work over the past three days, but it was worst in his arms. It all seemed to melt away under Luhan's gentle touches. Wherever the magic went, the muscles tensed with strength and the pain receded.

 

It was over faster than Sehun could realize what was happening. But when Luhan gave his arm back to him, Sehun flexed in disbelief. He laughed at how free his movement had become. It had been too long to go without having full range of motion. He examined them with a happy smile on his face, the flush of alcohol making it even clearer. There were still specific movements that caused pain, but it was much better.

 

Sehun was about to utter the sincerest thank you of his life when Luhan fell into his lap. Sehun looked down, blinking at Luhan who was struggling to remain awake. But Luhan was smiling at him, his eyes shining with pride. Whatever that spell had been, it took it out of him.

 

Sehun sat up, holding onto Luhan's form with hands as gentle as the sun spirits allowed them to be. He called for Kyungsoo to come help him with Luhan and the older man came with a quick stride.

 

"What happened?" the earth mage asked. "He doesn't appear hurt."

 

"He's'not hurt," Sehun confirmed. "Helped me heal. Warned me the spells used lot a' energy." Kyungsoo looked interested in that, but he helped get Luhan up to take him to the bed. He laid Luhan down and covered him with a blanket first. Luhan allowed sleep to claim him only then. A proud smile still lingered on his lips even as he slept.

 

Kyungsoo took Sehun aside next, pulling Yixing in to help him give Sehun an examination. Even when only pressing his fingers into the muscles, Kyungsoo noticed the difference. Sehun wasn't flinching anywhere near as much as he had even only hours before. Sehun wasn't completely healed. Luhan had told him as much. Kyungsoo found pockets of damaged tissue near the elbow that he wanted to address. That wasn't all. Yixing could still detect deep cracks in the bones, too. But everything was in much better shape. He had leapt miles in the span of a few minutes.

 

"I don't know how he did that," Yixing commented, looking to Luhan's sleeping form. "But he's saved you months of rehabilitation."

 

Sehun looked over at Kyungsoo with confusion. "I thought you said I only had a few weeks of recovery left before I could travel."

 

"I did," Kyungsoo said. "But that's because what you need is the ability to hunt if you want to survive these lands. Your full recovery would have been another half year of motion therapy after you left here. Without magic, from start to finish, your recovery would have been much longer. A year or more without the help of magic. You would also have required extensive surgery from a skilled doctor. That's how bad your arm was when we started. A surgeon might have called your arm a lost cause and amputated it. I'm not convinced you realize how much damage that arm sustained, Sehun."

 

"I know plen'y what tha' hammer did to me," Sehun snapped, sobering up real quick as his anger flared. "I had to endure it! But I've also never had tha' happen to me before an' I had the luck to run into you two. How am I suppose to know what recovery is like? Much more recover from that without magic." He hiccuped once and kept going, not deterred by his inebriation. "I used to watch men and women leave that place withou' fingers or hands. Teeth missing and far worse bruising. I've also seen men go in and never come out. Some died on the whippin' post. My home was barbaric, and I admit I wouldn't a' left. I know what I looked like when I came to you."

 

"Then you'll know that the people who leave that place alive have a hard recovery ahead of them. It goes beyond more than the immediate flesh wounds," Kyungsoo voiced. "You were lucky to have us, but many are not so lucky. I said weeks to give you a proper chance to function without help. Retaining range of motion would have been an uphill battle for you."

 

Sehun looks over at Luhan's sleeping form once more and is more and more amazed by the minute. Months. Luhan had saved him months of recovery. Sehun could go out and shoot his bow again. He could climb trees again. He didn't have to rely on others anymore to grab the things he needed.

 

He could do anything he wanted again.

 

"But there's more, Sehun," Kyungsoo said, bringing his attention back to him. Kyungsoo leaned forward to be sure Sehun couldn't look away from him. "I'm now more worried about your mental well-being."

 

"Mental-?"

 

"You've been through a lot in recent weeks," Yixing interrupted, speaking for the first time. "But I would not find it surprising if you suffer some mental setbacks from your past. The abuse you went through at the hands of that nobleman might have scarred you in ways you don't yet know. I hope I'm wrong and I hope you were able to handle your situation as well as you think you did. But if something slipped by without you noticing, you are going to need a strong support system. Kyungsoo can't go with you. Jongdae can't go with you. Chanyeol might not be able to stay with you all the time. So you have to rely on me and Luhan for support if you need it."

 

"I don't need help with that," Sehun growled.

 

Kyungsoo glared him down, gaining his attention back. "I have seen proof that you do," he said, the confidence strong in his voice. "But do as you wish. I cannot stop you."

 

Sehun bit his tongue at that statement, finding no argument. Kyungsoo walked past him and Yixing followed him to the door of the bedroom. Kyungsoo stopped in the doorway to turn back to Sehun.

 

"I'm assuming this means you're looking to leave soon," Kyungsoo guessed. But Sehun hesitated. He did need to leave, but Chanyeol was still away and there were still things to learn from Jongdae. He could spend a few more days there. Make sure Luhan wakes up all right and give Chanyeol time to return. He should also send a bird for Chanyeol to ask him to meet him when he is able.

 

"Not yet," he finally answered, fight leaving him. "I'll wait a few more days. Let Luhan decide what he wants to do. Learn anything else I can from Jongdae. I'm making a big assumption that Yixing is coming with me. But Kyungsoo, could you teach me to make medicines? I would like to avoid shopping for them if I can avoid it, but winter is coming."

 

"I can do that. Though I don't know how much I can teach you in a few days," the earth mage admitted. "But I can teach you how to make fever reducers and teach you which herbs to put in your soups if anyone gets sick."

 

"That will be enough," Sehun said with a nod. "Anything else you can teach me will be helpful."

 

"That book I gave you today will help," Kyungsoo told him. "You've got a long, hard winter ahead of you. And I have a feeling you will need to pass through the mountains at some point or another. I hope I'm wrong, or at the very least you don't have to make that journey until spring."

 

"Spring is almost worse in the mountains," Jongdae sighed, coming in from the outside. "The rivers will be overflowing with melted snow. If Sehun has to make that journey, it'll be hard no matter what."

 

"I can manage," Sehun assured them both, rubbing sleepiness from his eyes. "But it would be great if the Moon Witch were nearby. Luhan seems to think she's far away."

 

"I would not doubt that," Kyungsoo said. "Those of magical power tend to go into hiding after their gifts become known. They have people chase them for a lifetime."

 

"Not the royal family, though," Jongdae said with a roll of the eyes. "They don't back down from anything."

 

"It makes them strong leaders," Kyungsoo defended. "But you're right, they have no fear and they should at least have a healthy dose of it."

 

Sehun tuned out of this conversation. Instead, he grew curious of Yixing, who had returned to silence as soon as he brought up the Moon Witch. He never did have much to say on the magical being that Sehun wanted to locate. Even if Sehun had spoken of the witch in the prior days, Yixing never said one word and that made him curious.

 

For now, he wouldn't ask. Yixing seemed to be eager to get out of the room anyway. If the past few weeks had taught him anything, it was that Yixing didn't appreciate when someone put him on the spot. You could ask him all the questions you wanted in a private conversation and that was fine. Asking him in front of everyone when bringing attention to his answer was not.

 

Sehun waited for the conversation die and went to get ready for bed. It was late, and the alcohol was getting to him.

 

\-----

 

He spent the next days getting back to chores. But this time, it was everything. He could chop wood again. Kyungsoo cleared him for archery and hunting. Jongdae gave him his first lessons in swordsmanship. It was eventful few days waiting for Luhan to wake. 

 

Luhan slept like the dead for two days before he emerged from the room. But he was glad to see that Sehun was doing well after his treatment. He offered another session with the same spell, but Sehun declined and moved about his day as normal. Yixing and Kyungsoo did checkups daily and used minor spells to quell any aches that cropped up. But Sehun was otherwise on the mend and about ready for travel.

 

Lessons with Jongdae came to an end only three days later. Kyungsoo was running out of time to throw plant knowledge and medicines Sehun's way. Sehun was trying hard to soak it all up like water to a bone-dry rag. He didn't want to be without any useful knowledge.

 

Luhan hadn't yet given a verbal answer to the question of what he was going to do. To Sehun, it was obvious. He could see the fire in Luhan's eyes burn brighter than ever when he looked at Sehun. Sehun didn't need to hear it to know that Luhan would be coming with them.

 

On the day they were to at long last leave, Sehun still hadn't heard from Chanyeol. They were leaving for the capital city anyway and hope they heard from him soon. Kyungsoo stood in the doorway of his little home, looking worried.

 

"You have everything?" he asked. "I don't want to find your shit still hanging around my house in a few months. It'll be gone before you can retrieve it." But everyone laughed despite the harsh tone Kyungsoo put up. They had all grown close in the last month and Sehun knew Kyungsoo was going to miss them.

 

"Yeah, we have everything," Jongdae said with that signature friendly smile. He had put on his military uniform again and was ready to head out. Once he returned to the city, he would bid Sehun farewell and wish him luck. Yixing and Luhan intended to stay with him; at least for now.

 

"We'll see you," Sehun said with a smile. "Thank you so much for everything. I wouldn't have recovered if it weren't for you."

 

"You're damn right you wouldn't have," Kyungsoo scoffed. But then he gave Sehun a fond smile and ruffled his hair. "Good luck kid. Be safe. I hope you find who you're looking for. Don't forget to write to me."

 

Despite the fact that Sehun knows Kyungsoo is not a touchy person, he pulls Kyungsoo into a hug anyway. He lets go again before he can see any real retaliation from the action. The smile he gave Kyungsoo was bright as he began to back away down the road. He was feeling a little sad despite his waiting freedom.

 

"I'll come back sometime!" he called. "Promise!"

 

"You make a lot of promises," Yixing commented with a small smile of his own. He followed after Sehun regardless. Luhan and Jongdae fell into step behind him.

 

"And I intend to keep them all," Sehun declared. Then he waved to Kyungsoo, waited for the wave back, and they left on their way.


	8. Chapter 8

It was a relief to be back on the road. Even if he couldn't do anything now, he was ready to get his journey started again. Yixing was right, he did make a lot of promises, and he had a lot of things to do to make good on them.

 

During the day, Jongdae encouraged Sehun to use his powers in little ways for practice. Sehun was becoming quite good with his lightning now that he had accepted it. But he hadn't made any progress on figuring out how his hair had changed to the gold it was now.

 

One of his parting gifts had been a mirror from Kyungsoo so he could practice. If he didn't have a way to see himself, how would he know for sure that his original color returned? Sehun appreciated the it, but in the first night they had made camp, it did him little good. The mirror had only served as a reminder of how much he had changed. He wasn't able to figure anything out. Everyone telling him the hair color he had looked beautiful didn't help. To him, it only looked more hideous. He wanted his mother's hair color back.

 

Within two days, they arrived at the capital again and Sehun could smell the breeze from the salty bay once more. It was not a smell he knew well, but it was different from anything else he had smelled before. All the water he had been around as a child was river water. It had all been fresh from springs at the source in the mountains. Despite this, he believed he did not dislike the salty smell. No one else seemed to even notice it, and Sehun found it somewhat refreshing.

 

Upon arrival, it was time to say goodbye to Jongdae. He turned to them with a sad smile and said, "This is where I leave you. But I wish you all the best." He tapped Sehun's hip where he had slung his new dagger. "Keep practicing and you'll be fine. Use the wooden sword, too. Try to get Chanyeol to teach you when you meet up with him. But more important: don't ever fear your gifts again. They belong to you."

 

Sehun nodded and went in to steal a hug, much like he had done with Kyungsoo. Jongdae was quick enough to hug him back before the younger boy retreated. As the trio left the soldier, Sehun looked back and Jongdae gave him a small salute in farewell. before turning and leaving in the opposite direction.

 

The three of them couldn't afford a room in the city, so they camped on the outskirts. Grass, a self-erected tent, and fresh caught food were much cheaper here. Sehun was glad for the opportunity to hunt again. His muscles, though improved, had lost some of their power from lack of use. Pulling his bow back was a little more difficult than he remembered. But aim was still easy with the aid of the wind. It was almost easier in that regard because he had better control of his powers.

 

It wasn't until the second day that Yixing suggested they all get temporary jobs. They hadn't gotten word from Chanyeol yet, but Kyungsoo promised they would hear from him. The jobs were only to tide them over until Chanyeol arrived. They all agreed, though Sehun and Luhan both appeared antsy to get moving. Sehun could feel the unpaid debt under his skin, gnawing away at his conscience. 

 

They all agreed to take jobs and went into the city to look for work. Luhan got himself a job in service at a local pub. It was clear he had never worked a day in his life and he had no idea what he was doing. He was lucky his fellow workers were understanding and he was friendly. If Luhan had a nasty attitude as well, the boss would have fired him on his first day.

 

Yixing got a job as well, but he refused to say what it was. However, he continued to bring in money for the group and that was all that mattered. Sometimes Luhan teased that he was playing delivery boy or put on clown makeup every day. But Sehun once swore he saw Yixing putting on a puppet show for little kids. He couldn't be certain, because he was a distance away and only saw his profile, but it didn't matter. If it was Yixing, he looked so happy that he almost didn't recognize him at all. Who knew Yixing had a soft spot for children? He didn't let Yixing know he knew, though. He didn't want to embarrass him.

 

Sehun had a harder time finding a job. With himself still being on the mend, he couldn't take jobs that required too much heavy lifting. But he could run messages and carry small amounts of weight. It took a while before he found a place willing to hire him. In this large city, there was one businessman that needed orders run and placed. Sehun took the order forms to the suppliers and they brought the supplies when it came. Sehun didn't deal with payment. Someone else did that, but it was clear that all the people he visited had money of some sort to spend. Some more than others. Many of the people he visited dressed in finer fabrics and brighter colors. But he was also impressed with the women in the business as well.

 

Nimrine didn't have many freethinking, hard working women its name. But here, they seemed to flourish. Sehun saw women frequent the upper ranks and many took his order slips to file away in their vaults. No one questioned when one of them gave orders. The largest property Sehun visited, in fact, belonged to a woman. But she was away when Sehun came with his order.

 

"You may wait here," one of the managers said, placing him in a private office. "She will be back a little later. Can I bring you anything to eat while you wait?" Sehun was about to decline, but his stomach spoke for him. A loud growl in the quiet room. The man seemed to find this amusing. "I'll bring some tea and cheeses. Please relax and browse the books if you wish. The mistress of this company is a kind woman and she wants everyone to feel comfortable."

 

Sehun nodded, feeling a little embarrassed and out of place. The man disappeared and Sehun sat down in one of the spare chairs. He looked over the books that sat one a shelf, but he didn't bother to pick one up. A few minutes later, someone came back to the office. But it wasn't the same person that promised to bring him something to eat.

 

Instead, Sehun looked up to find a middle-aged man, beard well-trimmed and skin full of life. He looked pampered and Sehun wondered why he was working here. The man smiled at him when he met his eye and set the tray down in front of Sehun on the desk.

 

"I am Master Lee," he introduced himself. "My wife, the Mistress Lee, is the person you are looking for, yes?"

 

Sehun nodded his head. "Yes, sir," he answered, watching Master Lee pour two cups of tea for them. "Is she on the premise? My employer has asked me to hand the order straight to her hands. He said something about a mishap he does not wish to repeat."

 

Master Lee nodded. "I know who has sent you," he said with a tired sigh, sliding Sehun's cup forward. "One mistake and that man refuses to do business with many. But he is a good customer of ours, so we try to be accommodating." Sehun picks up the cup, noting the fine craftsmanship of it. He wondered if this was magic. "But my wife is offsite, currently, and she will be for a while longer. So, I must entertain you until she returns. Unless you have other orders to place?"

 

"No, sir," Sehun hurried to say. "This was my last order of the day."

 

"Then you can take your time," he hummed, taking a sip of his own tea. All of a sudden, he looked startled and put his cup down. "My apologies! I seem to have forgotten to ask your name."

 

Sehun smiled a little to himself, finding this man amusing. "It's no trouble, sir," he assured Master Lee. "My name is Sehun."

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sehun," Master Lee said, leaning back into a relaxed position again. "I have not seen you before, so I would assume you are new."

 

"Yes, I started work today," Sehun told Master Lee. "I'm traveling, but I'm waiting for someone to meet me." He was starting to feel more comfortable now. It was enough for him to reach for a small piece of cheese.

 

"Well, you have picked a good man to work under," Master Lee noted. "Stubborn though he may be, he treats his workers better than most."

 

Sehun nodded his agreement. The man wore a pinched face when he hired Sehun, but he patted him on the back and welcomed him. Sehun took another sip of tea.

 

"If you don't mind my asking," Master Lee began, "where are you traveling to?"

 

Sehun shrugged in response. "I'm looking for someone. The person I'm meeting may have information on how I can find them. So, I don't know where I'm going yet." Sehun found himself looking down at his half empty teacup with a lost expression. Thinking about all that was still left of his journey did not put him in a good mood. "I knew I needed money for equipment, though. So, I took up a job here. And I may be going to the mountains, so I could use a better cloak." He thought about the cloak Luhan got him for his birthday, but Luhan hadn't finished with it yet.

 

There were a few beats of silence that stretched a little longer than Sehun found comfortable. He looked up and found that Master Lee had set aside his cup. He looked contemplative.

 

"I'm sorry," Sehun said, unsure if he had done something to make Master Lee look so uncertain. "Did I say something wrong?"

 

Master Lee seemed to come out of his thoughts at that. "No, no," he said, an assuring wave of the hand telling Sehun he could relax. "I'm only trying to think if I am willing to risk judgement from you."

 

Sehun must have appeared confused by this statement, because Master Lee moved on.

 

"Do you need a job that offers more money?" he asked.

 

Sehun perked up at that. "That would be great," he answered, a smile coming to his face. "Do you know where I could find one?" But Master Lee still looked hesitant to continue. In fact, Sehun's eagerness to know more seemed to give Master Lee even more pause.

 

He finally stood from the other side of the desk and came around to sit in the chair next to Sehun. Then he placed his hand on Sehun's upper thigh. "Does this make you uncomfortable?" Master Lee asked.

 

Sehun froze. Master Lee took his hand away almost as quick as a lightning strike, taking the hint.

 

That's when Sehun knew what Master Lee was offering. He didn't think about this man's excess wealth until now. He had nice things and he dressed in proper attire, but Sehun hadn't thought about much else.

 

"My wife," Master Lee said, "is busy most days. She owned this business long before she met me. She doesn't come home sometimes, and other times she comes home after I go to sleep. I get lonely a lot."

 

He continued to explain, detailing how his wife knew of his needs and encouraged him to find partners. But because he was so in love with her, he often denied himself. He only allowed himself to be weak if someone else was weaker. Sehun felt a little insulted by that remark. It left a resounding "no" echoing in his skull that he didn't voice.

 

Sehun was uncomfortable and he didn't know how to get out of this situation. But Sehun was quick to realize he had nothing to fear from this man. He was not like Sir Choi of Falita. Master Lee was asking for his service and not demanding anything. For that, Sehun appreciated him very much.

 

"I'm not going to force you to do it," Master Lee said with a smile. "But if you need the money, I'd pay well for your time." 

 

Sehun pictured the three copper coins he got every time he serviced Sir Choi. Most of his payment in that instance was silence. This time, there was no forcing Sehun to do anything he didn't want to do.

 

For far too long, that decision was not his to make. Now, it was. Sehun wanted to take back everything Sir Choi had taken from him. His choice. His freedom. His strength. He hadn't been able to make decision on sex for himself then, but he could now. Not once was he allowed to deny sex. But now he was able to choose and make his own decisions. Sehun wanted to cleanse all that toxic power from himself. He wanted to make sure Sir Choi never had a claim on him again.

 

"How much will you pay me?" he finally asked Master Lee. It seemed patience indeed was a virtue, because he was still waiting for Sehun's answer.

 

Master Lee looked both pleased and surprised that Sehun was thinking about it. "Thirty gold pieces," he answered. Sehun's eyes widened. That was a far better sale than he had dared hope for. Miles beyond three copper pieces. Should he push his luck? He only had one thing to offer.

 

"Make it forty and I'll..." He paused, unsure if he was ready to make that kind of offer. But in the end, he decided this would cut all ties from Sir Choi. "I'll let you leave your seed in me," he offered.

 

To his slight surprise, Master Lee nodded and offered his hand. Sehun took it before he could change his mind, sealing their little bargain. The only thing he could think about was how this had been his own decision and not one someone else had made for him. He didn't care what it meant to someone else. To him, it meant taking his life back. But it also fed him and his friends for another day.

 

They didn't do it there. Instead, they continued to talk until the Mistress Lee arrived. Sehun finished his business with her and thanked her and her staff for their hospitality. She apologized for the wait and Master Lee escorted him out. He gave Sehun an address to go to after reporting back to his boss for the day. Sehun memorized it and hurried off.

 

\-----

 

Going to bed that night was both welcomed and frightening. Sehun had put himself in this situation, but he was also worried Master Lee would turn out exactly like Sir Choi. He was afraid he would be ruthless and uncaring. He was afraid he only wanted his body for his own needs but wouldn't care about Sehun's.

 

Sehun stripped before the man, allowing fabric to slip away in a slow revealing of himself. Sir Choi had taught him this; a taunting that would entice his partner. Sehun hated it, but Master Lee seemed to enjoy watching him do it.

 

Sehun crawled over the bed towards him like a cat, arching his back and making every stride of his legs long. It was all for Master Lee to admire.

 

"For someone so young," Master Lee purred, "you know how to present yourself."

 

"Someone taught me before I had any right to know," Sehun told him, coming face to face with Master Lee. He caressed Sehun's delicate skin, starting from his face and working down his neck. Sehun leaned into the touch with an automatic ease. His head screamed for him to stop and his heartbeat grew wild in his chest with anxiety. Master Lee's touch fell to Sehun's shoulder and then over his back. The surprise and horror that appeared on his face when he found the scars of lashings made Sehun nervous.

 

"Somehow has whipped you before," Master Lee noted. Sehun was settling himself between his legs and Sehun felt ugly with the statement.

 

"Yes," he confirmed, waiting. "Is... Is that a problem for you?"

 

The man didn't answer and rolled them over, pressing Sehun's back to the sheets. He reached to his left to open a drawer on the side table. He pulled out a pouch and placed it on top, letting the coins in it clink together.

 

"You can count it later," he said. Then he reached for the bowl next to the pouch. It contained a salve that he used as a lubricant.

 

Sehun was already coming to realize that some of his immediate judgments of the man were false. By now, Sir Choi wouldn't have given him as much. He would have already demanded Sehun's legs apart and would not have used any salve.

 

"What was it for?" the man questioned, fingers coming down to slip into Sehun. "The whipping." Sehun flinched at the touch, habit telling him nothing good would come of this. But Master Lee was as gentle as he could be, working Sehun open one then two fingers. Sehun's heart beat a little faster and his breath came in shorter puffs. Soon enough, he found himself rocking into the touches. Master Lee was not like that man at all.

 

"I lived in Nimrine with the ability to use magic," he breathed. "Th-they found me." He let out a surprised moan when Master Lee's fingers brushed over something inside him. He had felt that before, but not in any pleasurable way until now.

 

"You poor thing," Master Lee purred. Sehun hated that sound. He wanted to smack him for insinuating that he could not handle it and yet whine that he wanted more attention. "Well, you can forget all about it now," Master Lee continued. "You're here, in the land of magic. You're free to do whatever you want."

 

Sehun laughed. "And what do you think I'm doing right now?" he questioned.

 

The man laughed with him, pulled back, and hoisted one of Sehun's legs up over his shoulder. Sehun's turned to accommodate, but flinched at the quick actions, turning his head away. He squeezed his eyes shut and his body tensed under Master Lee, but he didn't say anything.

 

Master Lee didn't move from this point.

 

"Sehun, what's wrong?"

 

Sehun felt the hesitation of the hand on his leg. The fingers were almost as tense as Sehun's rigid body.

 

"Sehun, talk to me," Master Lee said. "Are you thinking twice about this?"

 

Sehun shook his head. He did want this. But he was so scared because of all his past experiences with this. He wanted one good one. One good one would be perfect.

 

"I..." he breathed, not sure what to say. "I don't know what it feels like to have consensual sex..."

 

"Are you okay right now?" Master Lee asked.

 

"Scared."

 

"Then I'll do this different than I planned," Master Lee said, letting Sehun's leg fall back down. "If you still want to, that is."

 

"I do," Sehun said, trying to relax. "I want to erase everything he did to me."

 

Master Lee rolled Sehun over onto his front and situated himself above Sehun again. "Then let me do the honors of freeing you."

 

Sehun took a deep breath and let his hands curl in the sheets. It felt less anxiety inducing to not be looking at Master Lee. The slow down helped, too.

 

The breach of his body was far different than he expected. There was initial discomfort, but he didn't feel the searing pain that usually shot up his back. He did not feel the hammer of desperate hips. He did not feel a lack of stimulation. He felt full and stretched, but it was all sensations he did not mind.

 

Unhurried movements came to him. Master Lee only pressed into Sehun over and over, rolling his hips and waiting to hear Sehun. He wanted to hear every moan of approval every time Sehun couldn't stand how full up he was. But Sehun wasn't as ready to make those sounds. Making those sounds made him feel vulnerable and he hated that. However, Sehun had never felt so good while performing this act and he was never more pleased to say yes to someone than now.

 

But Master Lee was not all give, either. He gave Sehun orders, he had paid for that right, but some form of return favor punctuated them. He told Sehun to give him a squeeze and Sehun did, clenching his body around the man inside him. In return, Master Lee groaned and struck that sweet spot of Sehun's again. Sehun bit back a strangled cry and his fingers twisted in the sheets. Sehun was near tears by the time Master Lee pulled out and flipped him over.

 

His muscles stayed relaxed even as they returned to the position Master Lee had wanted to start with. He tossed one of Sehun's legs over his shoulder and Sehun twisted a little to fit the position. This time, he wasn't scared. Master Lee pushed back into Sehun, going deeper than Sehun had felt him last time. Sehun was so close to the cliff of something he had never known that he was about to fall off of it. But it was all because this newfound freedom was making him high. His forced bond with Sir Choi was about to snap and Sehun would be free to fly from it.

 

Sex wasn't among Sehun's favorite activities, but if it gave him freedom like this, he might do it again.

 

He only lasted a few moments longer while Master Lee drove on inside of him. When Sehun was finally knocked off that edge, he forgot to breathe. He saw spots in his vision as he spilled, sticky all over his stomach. His muscles grew tense with the effort and then relaxed again. A sudden weakness overtook him, but he still needed to finish this man off. He was paying extra for special privileges after all.

 

Sehun's eyes glided over Master Lee as he fought with his muscles for control. After his own orgasm, he had grown bored and oversensitive. Things that had been pleasurable only moments before were verging on painful now. So to distract from it, Sehun questioned what exactly he thought of Master Lee. Not as in who he was as a person, but more of what Sehun saw on the outside.

 

He wasn't a bad looking man, but Sehun didn't find him any more attractive than the next person. Sehun isn't sure that he would have picked Master Lee out of a crowd of people for a partner on his own. But that was the same with most people. He wasn't sure he could pick anyone out of a crowd as a potential sex partner. The only reason he was here now was because Master Lee gave him what he needed, and that was it. That freedom and release from Sir Choi was what got him off in the end. Not the person attached to the dick inside of him.

 

Sehun realized far too late that he never had a name on his tongue. He wondered if he should have tried harder to fake it or if Master Lee was fine without it. But this was all business anyway, and Sehun treated it as such. His own high was gone, but he still needed to finish the job.

 

It didn’t take long. With a lovely view of Sehun below him and the tight walls on him, Master Lee finally came with a grunt. Sehun felt the warm seed spread through him and he tried not to wince. This was the last tie to Sir Choi that he had, and he was so pleased to cut it.

 

But now there was a different problem.

 

There was an emptiness and itch under his skin. Something was different, and he couldn't place what it was. But he didn't like it. It wasn't the same as the trapped feeling, he wasn't tying himself to Master Lee. It was something else. It was like something was missing.

 

When it was over, they cleaned up. But it was far easier to clean up than expected. Sehun remembers hiding a limp and cleaning up blood. He remembers hiding bruises and lying about the swelling of his cheek. This time, there was none of that. All he had to do was wipe away the semen and count his money.

 

He was still counting when Master Lee spoke. "I don't want to assume," he hummed, still high from orgasm. "So, I'll ask." Sehun wanted to know how he stayed up there for so long, but he wouldn't ask.

 

"What do you want to know?" Sehun asked, closing up the sack of coins again. An even forty.

 

"Should I drop your name to some of the people I know?" he asked. "Or is this a one-time thing?"

 

Sehun sat there, only dressed from the waist down, and thought about it. Did he want to commit to this? But a little longer and he found only one answer. He wasn't sure he would keep this answer, but for now, it was what he hoped was the true answer.

 

"No," Sehun whispered. "One-time thing."

 

Master Lee nodded and waved him off. "Go home, Sehun," he urged, tone gentle. "Get some rest. I imagine I will see you a few more times before you leave this city. But not like this again, I hope. For the sake of both of us."

 

\-----

 

There were questions about where he got the money, but Sehun brushed them off. Luhan was most curious, but Sehun explained he had gotten a steady job and a one-day job. Yixing accepted the explanation without a fight, but Luhan remained concerned. He insisted that Sehun didn't need to have more jobs than one. Luhan's tips were generous at the pub and Yixing brought in his fair share.

 

"I'm all right," Sehun assured Luhan. "It was one day, and the pay was good. This journey is for me anyway. I want to do my part to pay for the equipment."

 

"The quest may be for you," Luhan agreed, "but we were willing to come along without you asking us to. We can carry our own weight."

 

"It's too late now, Luhan," Yixing interrupted. "And if he decided to get another job now, you wouldn't be able to stop him."

 

Luhan huffed, but he dropped the conversation and went to bed. Sehun was about to thank Yixing, but one look at him shut his mouth. Yixing was staring at him, knowing hiding in his eyes. But Yixing didn't say a word and turned away after a moment.

 

They spent another week out on the grass outside the city limits and still had no word from Chanyeol. Luhan was starting to complain of back aches that came from being on his feet all day. But sleeping on the hard ground didn't help him either. With the money Sehun had earned, they had purchased some nice bedding, but it wasn't always enough.

 

Sehun was sure they all wanted to stay at an inn, but they couldn't afford it. They were doing well for getting them food and such, but it wasn't enough to get a room. So when Sehun got his list of orders the next day at work, he made a decision.

 

His last order was to the Mistress Lee again, and Sehun hoped her husband would be there.

 

He was, and he was more than willing to help Sehun out again. Forty for the same services. Sehun still didn't find him all that attractive, but he needed the money and he knew that Master Lee was safe.

 

After they were both spent, Sehun felt that same emptiness as last time. Master Lee's head remained above the clouds while Sehun counted out his coin. Every clink of another coin tossed back into the bag made Sehun feel less and less satisfied. But why? This was all his choice. He should be happy to be exercising this freedom he never got to explore.

 

"Are you sure you don't want me to tell people about you?" Master Lee asked.

 

This time, Sehun thought about Luhan and his aches and pains. Then he thought about his own and then his emptiness. Someone else might be able to fill it better than Master Lee.

 

"Go ahead," he finally answered. "I need the money."

 

The very next day, it was obvious to whom Master Lee had mentioned him. Some didn't appear to know him as more than the errand boy, but others looked at him different. A woman, older and starting to gray looked him up first. Then it was a man, younger than Master Lee.

 

The first person to touch him was a woman, young and already swelling with child. The man it belonged to left her before he knew, and she had no one to tend to her. She paid him twenty gold pieces to fuck her. Sehun didn't tell her it was his first time with a woman. He didn't even tell her he had never penetrated anyone before, but she didn't seem to mind how he did things.

 

He did a lot of mimicking what he had seen. All the times before that he had to watch a man use their hips was finally coming to use. Women were harder work than men, but he felt a sense of accomplishment whenever she would moan for more.

 

She walked away satisfied enough. Sehun still felt that gnawing emptiness. It wasn’t the gender that was bothering him.

 

The next man was older than Master Lee, and he was not as nice. Sehun didn't care about nice. The man paid more, and it was still Sehun's decision. He even agreed to pay the additional ten for Sehun's special privileges.

 

It wasn't going well. Sehun tried to do what the man asked, but he was so goddamn picky. Everything Sehun did was wrong. But then the man grabbed him by the hair and yanked him up into the position he wanted. That was when Sehun realized what had been missing with the last two people.

 

The pain brought a sense of normalcy to Sehun's distorted idea of sex. It cut him from Sir Choi, but all the nice and sweet stuff only satisfied the needs of the body. His emptiness stemmed from a lack of structure. The pain didn't turn him on; not one bit. He wasn't like some of those people. But correction made him feel like someone was giving him worth again. It gave him someone to please and earn praise from. It was something beyond the worth of a few gold coins.

 

He didn't ask for such things from his clientele. He only asked for more of the men if they wanted to make him their dumping ground. He asked more for special tasks as well. But he walked away more satisfied if they volunteered a stiff structure.

 

He did have lines he refused to cross as well. Some wanted to engage in special kinks and sometimes Sehun didn't mind. Other times he refused to serve them if they insisted. Such acts included knife play; a common question when they saw his dagger.

 

By night four, his job as a messenger boy was his secondary job. He had become a whore to the men and women of the business. He profited off that well and they finally had the money to get a room at an inn.

 

Luhan wasn't as thrilled as Sehun thought he would be. He wasn't pleased when he found out Sehun had taken a second job again, this time something longer termed. Yixing, as always, had nothing to say.

 

One night, after fucking a woman into the sheets, Sehun lay there, staring up at the ceiling. He shifted under the arm of his latest customer, a woman with no structure but gifted with beauty he didn't care for. He was on the edge of sleep when he heard a scream come from down the street. The woman beside him didn't stir, likely too used to such sounds in this area.

 

Sehun didn't go to the window to investigate. He was too tired to even get up right now. But it was coming from the direction of the brothel and he was glad he wasn't part of that. He could leave this life any time he wanted. And as soon as he heard from Chanyeol, he would.

 

That day didn't come until a month later.

 

The innkeepers were starting to crack jokes about tiring of them after a month. Luhan laughed with them, knowing their true feelings about their steady income. Sehun was hoping they would be out soon. Nights were not restful for him and he was ready to finish with this lifestyle.

 

They had managed to secure all their supplies weeks ago. Now they were only working so that they could keep spending days at the inn rather than sleep outside the city. It would be easier for Chanyeol to find them, too.

 

It was a chilly morning when a bright red colored bird came to their window, a message tied to its leg. Yixing was the first to see it and hopped off his own bed to retrieve the letter. Sehun was struggling through a book with Luhan and hadn't noticed it right away. But when Luhan looked up to see what Yixing was doing, Sehun looked up, too.

 

"It's from Chanyeol," Yixing stated after he unrolled the letter. "He apologizes for the delay in his response. But says that by the time this letter arrives, he should be only a week out."

 

"So, he'll be here soon!" Luhan chirped, face lighting up with happiness. Sehun swore he almost saw relief mixed in that expression as well. They could finally leave this place and continue on their way. Sehun was more than ready to find this Moon Witch and ask how to locate Taeyeon's brother.

 

"Very soon," Yixing muttered with a nod. "I'll send a letter back letting him know which inn we're staying at."

 

He sat down at the small writing desk in the corner of the room and penned a quick letter to the traveling fire mage. Then he attached the replacement letter to the messenger bird's leg and sent it back to its master. The bird took off without needing to ask twice.

 

Despite Sehun's excitement, he felt nervous about getting under way again. To get rid of some of that anxiety, Sehun broke one of his rules. He accepted two clients at once. He demanded payment from both before they did anything.

 

He allowed them to use and abuse him for much of the night. When he wasn't spreading his legs for the man, he was going down on the woman. They didn't have structure, but he wished they did. He was hoping his luck was good tonight, and it wasn't.

 

By the end of it, he was sore and still as stressed as he had been when they started. He had found release of the body again, but not release of the mind.

 

When he went back to the inn, Luhan and Yixing were already asleep. Sehun slipped beneath the covers of his own bed and tried to get some sleep. But nightmares plagued his sleep. In every one of them, Taeyeon died and some silhouetted figure walked away from him. In one direction, her life faded. In the other, her family drifted. Feathers floated by in storms that he couldn't see through. Sehun couldn't get to both of them.

 

In all these nightmares, everything was silent. But he didn't need sound to know what the accusatory fingers meant. They all pointed in his direction. They all blamed him for her death. He didn't need to hear the voices to know what they said.

 

_"You did this!"_

 

_"She's dead because of you!"_

 

_"You should have been the one to die!"_

 

_"It's your fault!"_

 

Sehun woke up crying. They were right. It was his fault. He was the reason the birds wouldn't sing in the winter anymore.

 

\-----

 

In the morning, Luhan shook him awake and took him away before dawn. Sehun was so sleepy that he didn't argue. He got dressed and followed Luhan without asking where they were going. A yawn passed his lips as Luhan guided him down the street by the arm.

 

He didn't think it was important to ask why they were up until he recognized where Luhan was taking him. This street was familiar, and it was an unwelcomed sight. Kyungsoo had directed him down this road the first time they were here. It was a time before Luhan had joined them and he didn't know how deep Sehun's aversion to this place went.

 

They stopped in front of the ornamental gate and Sehun pulled his arm away from Luhan's grasp.

 

"I'm not going in there," he muttered.

 

"Why not?" Luhan asked, not fazed by Sehun's reluctance.

 

"I don't pray anymore," he answered.

 

"Why not?" Luhan repeated. Sehun found that annoying.

 

"Because the gods don't exist," was Sehun's firm answer. "I prayed for years. I prayed to the gods and I talked to my mother, but nothing good ever came of it. My mother was dead before I knew what prayer was. What's worse is that even though I prayed every day, I was still found out and lived life in hell. I continued to pray because I was so sure they would come save me and then they never did, and I still continued to pray."

 

"Then why have you stopped now?" Luhan asked, still calm.

 

"Because," Sehun whispered. "The last time I prayed was here, at this very shrine. I asked that my friend have a quick and painless death if she had to die." His dreams came back to him. He knew she burned as witch, but his nightmares had supplied whippings and hangings. He could feel the tears coming and he didn't want them to. He rubbed at his eyes to make the sting go away. "The next day, news came that she burned alive. Not quick. Not painless. She died in agony and it's because of me."

 

"She died for your freedom," Luhan said, trying to grab Sehun's hands back. "She died so that you could live a full life."

 

"I didn't want that from her!" Sehun cried. "I wanted to live my own way. I wanted to be able to use my powers, but I didn't want her to die so that I could."

 

"But Sehun, you were going to die if she didn't," Luhan said, urging him to listen. "She knew that. She knew she couldn't accomplish the things she wanted to. But there was time for you and she wanted you to have that time."

 

"How would you know?" Sehun demanded. "You didn't even know her! She had a son, and a brother she was looking for. Who knows where her husband is. She had a family that will never see her again. How would you know what she did or didn't have to live for?"

 

"I know because I spoke with her in the days before I came to you."

 

Sehun almost didn't catch the meaning behind those words. But when he did, he looked at Luhan with a confused and angered expression.

 

"You're lying to me," Sehun growled. "How dare you? She died weeks before you showed up out of the blue. You couldn't have spoken to her, much less seen her. She's ashes in the wind and I don't know how I'm going to bury her the way I promised I would."

 

"Do you remember how I arrived?" Luhan asked.

 

Sehun looked at Luhan with anger still etched on his face. He was trying not to punch him in the mouth. "You fell from the sky."

 

"That's right," Luhan said with a nod, not afraid of Sehun's anger. "Now tell me, how many places are in the sky?"

 

"The Sky Kingdom is the only one," Sehun offered. "What's your point?"

 

Luhan shook his head. "I didn't fall from the Sky Kingdom," he told Sehun. "There's only one other place that legends associate with being in the clouds. What is it?"

 

Sehun thought about it for a moment and couldn't come up with anything. But then he frowned and looked to the ornamental gate they were still stood beside.

 

"You're not telling me-"

 

"Yes," Luhan interrupted, confident Sehun was on the right page now. "I came from the place you don't believe in. I saw your friend Taeyeon there and she told me everything about you and her son. I came here for a reason, but she asked that I get you to believe again while I was here. She asked that I stick with you as long as I could. But I didn't realize you would be this complicated. Please, come inside with me. Let me show you what it feels like to let go."

 

"I don't deserve to be there," Sehun said, finally snatching his hands back. "I don't deserve to let go. I have found other ways of coping."

 

"Is this about how you sell yourself most nights?" Luhan asked, voice soft with disappointment. Sehun finally looked into Luhan's eyes. That fire was still there, a gentle anger that Sehun didn't know how to respond to. "Did you think you could hide it forever? They talk about you in the pub sometimes. You are worth more than a few pieces of gold, Sehun."

 

"No," Sehun said, stepping back from Luhan. "The moment I allowed my friend to sacrifice herself for me, I became nothing. I'm worth no more than what they pay me." Then he was gone, running back in the direction they had come.

 

Sehun didn't go back to the inn. He went back to work instead. He started with his usual messenger route, but it dissolved into what it always did. He had told himself he would quit when he knew Chanyeol was on the way, but he needed a distraction.

 

Soon enough, he ends back up at Master Lee's door where it all began. He gave Sehun a sad smile and welcomed him into his arms again. Sehun felt a strange kind of affection for this man. He knew better than to think of any of these feelings as a substitute for love. It was a simple sentiment that would fade soon after leaving. Master Lee had been the kindest of all Sehun's clients and brought him relief in more ways than one. He would kind of miss him when he left.

 

Master Lee took Sehun to bed once more, marking him in more ways than bites and bruises. He reminded Sehun why he did this in the first place. It was a decision he had made himself. He was taking his life back with these acts. But he was also facing harsh reality that it wasn't enough. He wasn't worth anything at all. And only the people that gave him structure could make him pretend he was. The made him feel like there was something to salvage from his wreckage.

 

Even when he left, glowing with the haze of sex, he was not satisfied. He knew this would never be enough. He wouldn't find the acceptance he wanted here. He needed to find someone as worthless as him before he felt better.

 

But he would stop this life here. For now. The road waited for him.


	9. Chapter 9

A few days later, Sehun woke in the middle of the night to screams again. This time, he was back at the inn with Yixing and Luhan. He was sharing a bed with Luhan to save themselves some money. He and Luhan hadn't spoken of matters of belief and worth since the morning in front of the shrine. Sehun had been grateful for that.

 

Being upset with Luhan was not a feeling he enjoyed. He couldn't explain it, but having Luhan put distance between them made him uneasy. So, even when screams woke him, Sehun felt relaxed when he woke to see Luhan's face. It was better than seeing a stranger like he had been for the past month.

 

In the past few days, he had kept his promise to himself and stopped sleeping with others for money. They had some excess money to keep them afloat until Chanyeol arrived. It left him with some anxiety, not having something to do. No one gave him a purpose anymore. The structure of a job wasn't enough to make him feel worth anything. No one needed him. He was replaceable, and he needed the job much more than they needed him.

 

However, it was clear that Luhan was always watching him, thinking on what to do or how to change Sehun's mind. He seemed to be happier since Sehun stopped staying out late, but he remained close by. Sehun's nightmares caused problems most nights. Luhan would wake him from his thrashing and hold him sometimes. Sehun always felt embarrassed, but he still hid his face in Luhan's chest while he remembered what air was.

 

Tonight, Luhan stared back at him while they both decided what to do about the screams. Should they ignore them tonight? Should they do something about them? Doing anything about them would require figuring out where they were coming from.

 

The screams grew worse and the noise roused Yixing from his sleep as well. There was begging and pleading and Sehun broke eye contact with Luhan to rise from his bed. He went to the window and leaned out of it to see if he could spot anything. This was worse than the previous nights.

 

There was a small crowd of people in the street a way down. They gathered in a wide circle, surrounding something Sehun could not see. Sehun had about had enough. He turned from the window and went to put on his shoes. He was going out there.

 

Then the screams stopped, as sudden as they had woken him. But everything was not silent. Sobs, broken and choking echoed through the night. Voices, soft as candle flame, made conversation in the distance. It was impossible to hear what was being said, but that did not matter to Sehun. All he cared about was that the commotion had stopped. There was no need for his outside interference after all.

 

The quiet didn't settle, yet, so Sehun remained reluctant to lay back down. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Luhan came to his side to collect him.

 

"Sehun?" he said, winding a hand around Sehun's forearm. "Are you okay?"

 

Sehun looked to Luhan, locking eyes with those bright embers. The short answer to that question was no. As much as he didn't want the screaming to bother him, it reminded him of his own torture. He pushed the thoughts away when he was numb, but where he was now, he want couldn't push it away.

 

"I'm sorry I'm worrying you," Sehun settled for. "Let's go back to sleep." Then he took Luhan's hand and led him back to bed.

 

Luhan didn't appear to know how to respond to that answer, so he allowed Sehun to take them back. Yixing watched out the window, not saying a word. He stayed sitting upright, intent on something.

 

"We're going to have a visitor," Yixing whispered. Sehun and Luhan were still getting comfortable again in their bed when Yixing spoke. Luhan seemed to shift at Yixing's words, but he didn't reply. Sehun looked at them with a question in his eye, but neither had anything more to add.

 

The conversation outside had stopped somewhere between getting into bed and Yixing's words. Sehun didn't notice when. The crying had quieted and was almost inaudible. Even before Sehun could contemplate sleep, he heard steps and quiet whispers outside.

 

Then he heard the door to the inn open. The thud of the door gave way to steps, slow and heavy as they came up the stairs. The steps got so close to their door that Sehun grew uncomfortable. He almost held his breath, and he didn't know why.

 

A quiet knock came to the wood of their door, testing to see if anyone was awake.

 

Yixing finally rose from his bed before Luhan or Sehun could get back up. He padded across the floor to the door, opening it with a firm pull. When the door swung open, there was Chanyeol, tall as ever, behind the door.

 

He was thinner than Sehun remembered. That may have been because his red cloak tended to make him look more filled out. Currently, the cloak in question wasn't on his shoulders. The swath of red fabric instead lay over the shoulders of a much smaller figure that stood beside him.

 

Sehun looked to the shorter person, noting how his weight leaned heavy on Chanyeol's side. There were tear tracks on his face that still ran with fresh tears. His eyes were wide with shock and he cradled his arm against his chest as if movement hurt.

 

Sehun's eyes widened when he recognized this man. He was the same man he had met from the shrine when he had gone the first time. They had prayed together and found support in each other. Immediately, Sehun rose from bed again to come to Yixing's side.

 

"It's late," Yixing chastises Chanyeol as he let the two into their little hotel room.

 

Luhan was back up on his feet as soon as Sehun was. When he saw the two newcomers and the smaller's state, he immediately went to help. But their second guest seemed to panic when people approached him and hid his face in Chanyeol's side.

 

"It's okay," Chanyeol assured him, brushing a hand through the young man's hair. "They're good people."

 

The stranger looked at the three people before him, skeptical. Yixing closed the door behind Chanyeol and then stepped closer to the boy.

 

"You're hurt," he observed. "May I see your arm? I can help."

 

The boy looked hesitant, but he also looked more reassured by Chanyeol's words. Then Sehun stepped forward and the boy looked at him with more than a glance. His eyes filled with recognition and he shifted under Sehun's gaze.

 

"Yixing is among the best," he told the boy. Then he held out his arm, the palm of his hand facing up. "Not long ago, I couldn't use my arm. He saved it. It's okay to trust him."

 

The boy still looked scared, but he made a little move that caused him to whimper and tighten his grip on the arm. He looked to Yixing and gave him a small nod. Sehun noted Chanyeol relax a little behind the boy.

 

Yixing took the boy from Chanyeol with great care and had him sit down on one of the beds. 

 

"I'm sorry to show up so late," Chanyeol apologized, turning his attention back to Luhan and Sehun. "I had intended to wait until morning to come find you, but he needed help." He nodded in the direction of the boy and gave him a sad smile. Yixing was poking and prodding around the boy's shoulder, causing discomfort. He said something about dislocation and Sehun winced. He had a dislocated knee once and that wasn't fun.

 

"It's all right," Luhan spoke up, quelling Chanyeol's apologies. Then he held out a hand. "We haven't met. My name is Luhan."

 

"I'm Chanyeol," Chanyeol returned, taking Luhan's hand in a firm shake. He remained friendly, but something about Chanyeol stiffened. Sehun couldn’t pick out exactly what had given Chanyeol such a rigidity, but it didn't last long anyway. Chanyeol dropped Luhan's hand and had a silent conversation with Luhan using his eyes.

 

The moment broke when the boy let out a sharp cry from over on the bed. The three of them looked over to see Yixing releasing the boy from his hold.

 

"Feel better?" Yixing asked. The boy took a few breaths, letting the pain recede before he blinked and nodded.

 

"Who is he?" Sehun asked Chanyeol, being sure to keep his inquiry quiet. "I've met him once before, but I didn't get a name."

 

"I don't know, yet," Chanyeol admitted. "He was being beaten in the streets before the brothel a block and a half down. He wasn't bringing in enough business as someone indentured there. I paid his debt to free him, but I didn't know what to do after that."

 

"Bringing him here was smart," Luhan assured him, watching Yixing lay the boy down on the bed. Then he spoke a little louder, letting everyone in the room hear. "No one minds. He can stay with us as long he wants."

 

Neither Yixing nor Sehun said anything to contradict him. They were already a band of misfits; it wouldn't hurt to add another. Sehun turned to Chanyeol then and changed the topic, bringing attention away from the boy for now. He looked exhausted and he needed rest.

 

"So," he said, clearing his throat. "About why I called you."

 

Chanyeol nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't reply sooner," he apologized. "Some urgent business came up at home, and home is very far away. For a long time, I was unreachable."

 

"That's fine," Sehun said dismissing the excuse. He couldn't expect Chanyeol to come running when he needed his help. They hadn't gotten a chance to become close while on the boat or anything. "I need to ask you if you have any information on the Moon Witch."

 

The mere mention of that name had some effect on Chanyeol, but it wasn't easy to spot it. "Why do you want to see the Moon Witch?" Chanyeol asked, shifting his posture. Sehun bit his lip and hesitated before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the moonstone he possessed and let Chanyeol examine it.

 

"The friend who saved my life gave me this," he informed Chanyeol. "Her name was Taeyeon, and she died in my place. Before that, she asked me to do one thing as repayment for my life and it was to find her lost brother."

 

"But that's the only clue you have," Chanyeol concluded with a sigh. "I don't know if the Moon Witch will be able to help you, but I understand why you would like to speak with her. I can take you to her, but the journey is quite the distance, and I have other matters to attend to."

 

"I will accept any help you can give me," Sehun was quick to say. "Would you be willing to go with us at least a part of the way?"

 

Chanyeol only smirked and patted him on the back. "I can do a lot better than that," he said. "I can pretty much take you straight there. The problem is that I may need to leave you at some point during the trek. My goals lay in that general direction, but communication on that road is not always easy. If I must separate from you, I could meet you again later."

 

Sehun felt the hope soar inside him and he didn't know how to express his gratitude. He was about to say something, voice anything to thank Chanyeol, when a voice sounded in the room, quiet, but firm.

 

"I want to go with you."

 

Sehun and Chanyeol blinked at each other. Then they looked over at the stranger. Chanyeol's face softened, going over to brush the hair off his face with a gentle hand. "We can talk about that in the morning," he whispered. "For now, rest."

 

"Baekhyun..." the boy whispered back. "My name is Baekhyun..."

 

"Then, Baekhyun, go to sleep," Chanyeol urged. "We will not leave before we can speak to you."

 

With that promise, Baekhyun allowed himself to try to sleep. He closed his eyes and fall into fitful slumber a few moments later. Sehun looked at the stranger and that same strange feeling he had had the first time he met Baekhyun was back. He still couldn't place it with a name, but it was a feeling he recognized.

 

It might have been the strange kinship he felt for someone who sold themselves for a living. The judgement they passed on each other was not as harsh as an outsider's. Unlike Baekhyun, Sehun's situation was voluntary, but they were still the same people. Sehun only chose this path for personal gain and that was the whole point.

 

Sehun went back to bed with Luhan after speaking with Chanyeol further. Chanyeol squeezed up next to Baekhyun for the sake of making him feel safe. Yixing, in rabbit form, stayed with them as well in case Baekhyun struggled with pain.

 

In the morning, Chanyeol was the first up, but by the time Sehun woke, Luhan and Yixing were gone as well. Everyone had gone down to get breakfast, but Sehun stayed put, not wanting to get up right then.

 

When he turned over to get comfortable again, he didn't expect to meet someone's stare. He locked eyes with Baekhyun on the other bed. He blinked, but he didn't flinch from the gaze. The expression on Baekhyun's face was unfavorable, but not filled with active hostility. One thing was for sure; he did not look pleased.

 

"You were taking my business," Baekhyun commented, making it sound offhanded. It was as if he was trying to imply that wasn't the reason for his beating last night. Regardless of whether it was or not, Sehun felt guilty. That seemed to be the most common feeling for him these days.

 

"I'm sorry," he said, the apology sincere on his tongue and conscience. He hadn't ever imagined his actions would influence anyone else in this manner. "I needed to make my own decisions."

 

Baekhyun sat up at that, hearing something in Sehun's voice that called to him. "Were you not before you came here?" he asked, expression softening to something much more compassionate.

 

Sehun shook his head, feeling the discomfort of such a confession. He felt he owed that much to Baekhyun. They had only had a formal introduction last night, but it didn't matter.

 

"I was never given an option but to say yes before this," he whispered, curling up a little tighter in the blanket. "I come from Nimrine. I was born with magic and someone found out. But they promised to keep my secret if I would let them use me as they pleased."

 

"And you said yes?" Baekhyun asked, disbelief written across his face.

 

"Not at first," Sehun breathed. "But he made me remember that my father, my only family, would become involved for hiding me. He made me know that he would not let me slide or my father if I said no. And then I knew I had no choice. I could say no as many times as I wanted, but he had power, and he was going to use it to get what he wanted."

 

"How did you escape?" Baekhyun asked. He ran a hand through his bed tossed hair, the anger fading from him by the moment.

 

"My friend protected me," Sehun whispered, the sadness returning to him. The guilt was getting difficult to bear. "I didn't have good control of my magic because no one ever taught me how to control it. Some people attacked me and it all came out to protect myself. After they came to arrest me, she spun some story and told them it was her who cast the wind spells. She died in my place. It gave my father and I time to get away."

 

"Where is your father, now?" Baekhyun asked. "If you left together, shouldn't he be with you?"

 

"We had a pursuer when we ran," Sehun told him. "We had to jump into the river to escape him. We got separated at a fork in the river's path. I blacked out and when I came to, Yixing told me he didn't know where my father was."

 

Sehun closed his eyes in a bid to keep the welling up tears at bay. He missed his father so much. He hadn't gotten time to promise he would be okay. He hadn't been able to promise he would find him. Now Sehun didn't even know if he was alive.

 

"Will you ask the Moon Witch about him as well?" Baekhyun asked.

 

"I don't know," Sehun answered. "The reason I'm going to the Moon Witch is for something of her realm. Kyungsoo believes she will know where the owner of the moonstone is."

 

"Kyungsoo is...?" Baekhyun began, uncertain.

 

"A friend," Sehun hummed, a smile forming on his face. "He helped with my recovery as much as Yixing did. But he made the original suggestion to ask Chanyeol about the Moon Witch."

 

"So, I guess I have Kyungsoo to thank for my rescue," Baekhyun hummed, falling back to the blankets. Sehun noticed for the first time that he still wore Chanyeol's red cloak. It splayed around him on the bed where he lay and brought out the auburn shades in his brown hair.

 

"In a roundabout way," Sehun conceded, "I suppose so."

 

"You called Chanyeol because of him," Baekhyun breathed. "And on his way to you, he found me." Sehun hummed his confirmation. Then there was a stretch of silence between them. Sehun almost wondered if Baekhyun had fallen back asleep.

 

Sehun almost got up, thinking he should consider breakfast. But as he made to move, Baekhyun shifted again on his own bed. Sehun looked back at him and saw those deep brown eyes staring at him.

 

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

 

Sehun settled back on the bed for a moment longer. "What do you want to ask?"

 

"Why did you choose a job as your lover?" he asked. "Why not find someone who would stick with you?"

 

Sehun hadn't thought about that before. Why had he taken the easy road and accept Master Lee's proposal. Sehun's first thought was that it was for the money. But something in him told him that that was a lie. He had been looking for that freedom from Sir Choi. He had been looking to dispute everything that man ever said to him. The money was an excuse.

 

"Remember that man I told you about?" Sehun finally responded. Baekhyun nodded. "I told you I wanted to make my own decisions, and that's true. But there was more I wanted. Sometimes I heard for weeks on end about how much I was worth. He told me I was less than the dirt beneath his boots. To add insult to injury, he paid me three copper pieces every time he had me. I even _felt_ like I was worth nothing. That feeling of worthlessness has only gotten worse since the death of my friend. So, when I severed my ties with that man at my first client, all I wanted after that was to feel worth something more."

 

"But what worth can clients of a prostitute bring you," Baekhyun asked. "Many would argue they value you less than cattle."

 

"They may," Sehun agreed, "but they pay better than three copper pieces. And some act like they need you or they could die."

 

"But it's not enough, is it?" Baekhyun said with a broken laugh. "You accomplished your first motive. You made the decision to be intimate with someone else. You don't have any connection to him anymore. You feel in charge of yourself again, right?"

 

Sehun gave him a stiff nod. It wasn't enough "I'm not any more valuable to myself than before. Very few of the clients I took knew what I needed. It wasn't the sex. I'm used to giving that up. What I need is someone to need something from me and teach me to give it to them."

 

"Meaning?" Baekhyun asked, not quite understanding.

 

Sehun bit his lip, wondering how to explain. "The client that made me understand was picky. Everything I did was insufficient down to the way I tilted my head in a position. When he got frustrated enough, he grabbed me and placed me in the positions he wanted, exactly how he liked them. He was teaching me, whether he knew it or not. The way he moaned after that was akin to praise in my ears. I did a good job after he taught me what he wanted. I felt like for a moment, I became worth something to him, even if he would forget only hours after."

 

"So, you want someone to remain in control in bed?" Baekhyun asked.

 

Sehun shook his head. "It isn't sex alone that would make me feel worth something," Sehun told him. "If someone needed me to do something for them, I'd feel some amount of worth from it. Folding laundry, cooking, and cleaning as long as it's all long term. I thrive on praise because I am deprived of it. Sex, of everything, unfortunately pays the best and I needed money fast. Not to mention, it's a service I'm accustomed to performing. But if it has structure, a need for me to fill and someone to instruct me, then I will do it."

 

"I can give you that," Baekhyun spoke up.

 

Sehun's head snapped up at that, not believing his ears. "What?"

 

"I can make you feel like you are worth more," Baekhyun reiterated. "If all you need is for someone to need something, I can make you believe you're worth more. I only want one thing."

 

"What is it?" Sehun asked, wanting to feel that self-worth return to him. He wanted to stop feeling like he was worth nothing. He needed something long term that he consented to. "What do you need?"

 

"Give me your love," Baekhyun answered. "Like you feel deprived of praise, I am deprived of love. Will that be enough?"

 

Sehun, lulled into calm by Baekhyun's proposal, gave him a slow nod. "If you teach me how you feel loved, I'll feel needed," he told Baekhyun. "That should be enough to give me my worth back."

 

Baekhyun smiled at him and stood from the bed at long last. He walked the short distance between them and leaned down to seal the deal with a kiss to Sehun's lips. It was short, but Sehun felt a warmth spread through him at the touch. Baekhyun giggled a little as he pulled away.

 

"Let's go get breakfast," he hummed, a happier note in his voice. There was a slight limp in his step as he walked away, and a bruise sat on the back of his neck, but he otherwise looked fine.

 

There had to be more to Baekhyun that he wasn't telling yet. But if Sehun had to give him false love, he was sure that something would come out of it sooner or later. Baekhyun would tell him things that he, under ordinary circumstances, wouldn't. Sehun would likely tell him things, too. For now, they were strangers, but Sehun was sure that that would change.

 

\-----

 

Baekhyun seemed to cling to Chanyeol all morning. Even when they ate, Baekhyun sat next to him and chatted his ear off. He still wore Chanyeol's cloak and Chanyeol didn't seem to mind in the least. Luhan hovered around Baekhyun a little, checking on his injuries every now and again. By the end of breakfast, Baekhyun was batting him away with a spoon and cheeks puffed up in irritation.

 

Baekhyun was a bright personality when he was with the right people. He was quick to dissolve into hollering and laughing at the slightest provocation. Chanyeol was often brought down with him, thinking him fun to talk with. The two of them became as thick as thieves by the end of breakfast, tossing peas at each other every other second. Yixing threatened to stab them both with a fork if they didn't settle down.

 

Sehun and Luhan sat next to each other for a most part and he caught Luhan glancing his direction a few times.

 

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Sehun asked. Luhan didn't even appear disturbed by the fact that Sehun caught him. Instead, he hummed and sat up a little straighter to acknowledge the question.

 

"Oh," Luhan said, almost seeming absent from the world. "You have a bit of a flush on your cheeks. Are you warm?"

 

Sehun hadn't noticed until Luhan said something, but yes, he was feeling very warm. He didn't know why either. It was chilly outside, and he hadn't put on his traveler's cloak yet. It might have been the room. There was a fire that ran almost all day and other people supplying body heat to the room.

 

"Yes," he answered. "But I'm sure I'll cool down once we get outside."

 

Luhan hummed but dropped the subject. It took him a few moments to start another one.

 

"You haven't been out late the past few days," he noted. Sehun didn't say anything. Luhan gave him a little toothy grin anyway. "I'm glad." Sehun still didn't reply, but when Luhan leaned over to rest his head on Sehun's shoulder, he didn't resist. Sehun stayed there with Luhan for a while longer as he finished up his breakfast.

 

Then Luhan spoke again.

 

"Are you nervous?" he asked Sehun.

 

"About?" Sehun questioned.

 

"Meeting the Moon Witch?" Luhan clarified.

 

"Yeah," Sehun said, no longer hungry. He pushed the remainder of his breakfast away and sighed. "Do you think she'll be able to tell me about my father, too?"

 

"I don't know," Luhan answered, giving him the truth. "Though, I doubt it. She'll be able to answer about the moonstone because by technicality, they belong to her. But your father doesn't have any magical association with the moon, does he?"

 

Sehun shook his head. "No, not that I'm aware of," he hummed. "He didn't have magic. Only my mother did."

 

"Then the Moon Witch may not be able to help you with finding him," Luhan said, a trace of misfortune coloring his voice. Sehun looked up at him then. Those eyes burned into his, but softer than usual, like embers. Not for the first time, Sehun notes how pretty they were.

 

He wasn't thinking very much when he reached forward to brush Luhan's hair aside to see them better.

 

Luhan blinked, surprised by the action. Then Sehun realized what he was doing and pulled back faster than a rabbit ran back to its warren. He turned, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks.

 

"It's hot in here," he said, making a hasty retreat. He addressed the table then as he made his way back up to their room to grab his things. "I'll wait for you guys outside."

 

Then Luhan laughed and scrambled to follow after him. "I'll come with you!" he chirped.

 

Sehun's groan was for the most part inward rather than outward. But he was pretty sure they left their three other companions in a haze of confusion with their quick exit.

 

"Sehun!" Luhan called, happiness saturating his tone. Sehun ignored him until they were up in their room together where he could distract himself.

 

"Not now, Luhan," Sehun tutted. "We have to pack."

 

"We can talk while we pack," Luhan reminded him, plopping down on the bed they shared the night before. Sehun couldn't refute the statement, so he didn't reply. "Come on," Luhan whined. "We've known each other for a little while now. Why do we never talk?"

 

"Because you're intimidating and I'm not the talkative type," Sehun grumbled.

 

"Intimidating?" Luhan questioned. "How so?"

 

Sehun flushed, because it wasn't Luhan's origins alone that put him on edge. Falling from the sky and wielding powerful magic was already impressive. But it was Luhan's beauty that made him difficult to approach more than anything. Not to mention he felt indebted to Luhan for giving his journey direction. It all left Sehun feeling rather speechless when talking to Luhan.

 

"Well?"

 

Sehun jumped, because Luhan was a lot closer than he remembered him being a second prior. He stared at Luhan for a moment, the blush not fading, before he turned back to his things.

 

"You know too much," Sehun finally answered, settling for half a truth. "You are also powerful. Isn't it natural for power to be intimidating?"

 

"I'm human, though," Luhan said with a smile. "Or at least, I hope I will be."

 

Sehun looked back at him, brow furrowing. "What does that mean?"

 

Luhan answered with a smile and moved back to give Sehun some space to pack. He even went to start packing up his own sparse things. It was clear Sehun wasn't going to get answers. Again.

 

"You need to stop doing that."

 

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Luhan hummed, laughing when Sehun pouted. "Look, I can't tell you now. But someday, you might know."

 

"Might know?" Sehun scoffed. "Sounds like you're never going to tell me."

 

Luhan gave him a mischievous smile and continued packing his things away. "You're still flushed," he noted as he placed his things in his pack. "Still warm?"

 

"Yeah," Sehun hummed. He was still hoping the cold air outside would help cool him down, but it was becoming a bit uncomfortable. "But I'm fine. I'm glad we're getting moving again."

 

"I am, too," Luhan said. He seemed as ready as Sehun was to put this city behind them. He had been antsy for weeks and grew even more so when they knew Chanyeol was on his way. But the why was another one of Luhan's secrets. He refused to explain his urgency.

 

Now that they were moving again, it didn't seem to matter anymore. Sehun was glad to say goodbye to the memories of this city. But he had a feeling its influence on him wouldn't be so easy to forget.

 

\-----

 

After everyone else had finished eating, they came up and packed their things as well. Sehun was heading down with his things as they got started. He stood outside and waited where the cold air helped to cool him down.

 

"Are you guys about ready to head out?" Chanyeol asked. "Does anyone need a warmer cloak? We'll pass through the mountains at some point."

 

"I don't have one," Baekhyun answered. "I kind of had to leave everything with the brothel. They owned everything I had. Even my good gloves."

 

"Then we'll get you some traveler's clothes on our way out of town," Chanyeol promised. "You'll need them with winter on the way." Baekhyun nodded and followed at Chanyeol's heels like an eager puppy.

 

Turned out, Baekhyun looked rather dashing in a fine set of traveler's clothes. He looked so small when shrouded in the warm swaths of wool, but his eyes spoke to a strong will larger than himself. He was much stronger than Sehun guessed he might be. One would have to be to come out of a brothel, beaten and bloody but still smiling. Sehun couldn't think of himself as being that strong.

 

While Baekhyun tried on a few different pieces, Sehun perused the shelves of fabric. A cloak in a light shade of blue caught his eye. He pulled it out so he could get a better view of it.

 

"You already have a cloak, Sehun."

 

Sehun looked over his shoulder to see Luhan staring at him with folded arms. He looked amused.

 

"Or have you forgotten?" Luhan continued.

 

"But you won't let me have my birthday present, yet," Sehun whined.

 

"I promise it's on the way," Luhan giggled. "And your current one is old, but it's still plenty durable. Don't go wasting your hard-earned money."

 

Sehun almost said something, but he bit his tongue to keep it in. Luhan was trying to be nice, and seeing as he knew of Sehun's situation, it was as nice as he was going to get. Luhan hadn't approved, but money made was still money earned. Luhan was right. He shouldn't waste it when he didn't need to.

 

When Baekhyun made his selection, he bought Sehun some gloves with his new cloak. They were the same color as the light blue cloak he had pulled out earlier. He smiled at Baekhyun, wide and thankful. Baekhyun pulled on his ear until he got verbal thanks.

 

His first correction, gentle in nature. But it got the message across: gratitude was important to Baekhyun. Sehun glowed under the "you're welcome" and smile that Baekhyun supplied afterwards.

 

They left out the west gate of the city, away from the sea. It was almost sad to see the large city go. But Sehun looked to his side and hoped Baekhyun could deliver everything he promised. He would need it on this trip if he were to keep sane. That initial 

 

They stopped the first night a way out of the city. They would be in the forest for the next week at the very least and had to set up camp wherever was best. They have three tents between the five of them, one being one of Sehun's original possessions. Now it belonged to the group and Sehun didn't mind that.

 

Baekhyun immediately offered to sleep in the same tent as Chanyeol. Sehun wasn't surprised by this. Then Yixing grabbed a hold of Luhan, claiming that he was the most comfortable to sleep on when he was in rabbit form.

 

So Sehun got a tent to himself.

 

It ended up being a good thing when everyone was asleep. He had been the last to leave the fireside, too busy thinking. He had only begun to settle into his bedroll when he heard slow, quiet footsteps. They made their way over to his tent and a figure pulled back the flap of his tent.

 

Sehun hadn't even gotten a chance to extinguish his lantern, so it was easy to make out Baekhyun's face. Baekhyun placed a finger to his lips and crawled in to lay next to Sehun. Sehun relaxed back against his bedroll.

 

"Hey," Sehun greeted. "Need something?"

 

"Yeah," Baekhyun hummed, curling up at Sehun's side. He hesitated for a moment. Sehun almost asked, but Baekhyun managed to find his words before that. “Remember our deal?” he whispered, sliding a hand around Sehun's bicep.

 

Sehun turned his head to get a better view of Baekhyun. Their eyes met and Sehun swallowed, nodding. He didn't know what Baekhyun needed, but he wanted to fill that need. “I can make you believe you’re worth more than gold. Do you want that?”

 

He did. He wanted to believe that more than anything.

 

“I want it…” he finally voiced. He reached for the ties of his own clothing, but Baekhyun stopped his hands from moving. He found himself a lap full of the smaller boy as soon as he stilled. Baekhyun hovered above him, looking down at him with a soft smile.

 

“I don't need you to undress unless you want to,” he said. His voice was almost hypnotic as he leaned in closer to brush his lips with Sehun’s. That alone pulled a small gasp from Sehun. Electricity behind a kiss felt like an old wives’ tale, but there it was, zinging through his blood. “Give me your love, and I’ll show you how much I need you. I'll show you what you are worth to me.”

 

Sehun spent the night learning about Baekhyun. Most of what he learned he learned without words. They spoke a little, but then Baekhyun asked for Sehun's arms around him. It was comfortable and warm laying like this. But it evolved after that as needs sometimes do.

 

Baekhyun turned himself around to face Sehun, never leaving the warmth of his hold. There wasn't much time for Sehun to process the change before lips were on his. He responded to the need more than he responded to Baekhyun. Their lips molded together in a heated kiss, tongues sneaking out to twine together.

 

Sehun wasn't sure when he decided it was a good idea, but he found himself reaching down Baekhyun's pants. Baekhyun hadn't asked for this kind of pleasure, but Sehun wanted to give it to him. He wanted to give Baekhyun more than warmth.

 

"I can do this, right?" Sehun breathed against Baekhyun's neck. He was a little late to asking, but Baekhyun nodded anyway, words failing him.

 

This was where he learned what Baekhyun enjoyed. He tried several different strokes and paces, looking for the one that drew out the biggest reaction. The older boy's breath came quicker to his lips and his legs shifted, restless and uncertain of where to go.

 

Sehun took away the restlessness when he climbed on top of Baekhyun, pinning his body to the ground with his. He occupied the smaller man with more kisses and continued to work his hand in Baekhyun's pants. It wasn't until Sehun felt a hand clawing at his pants that Sehun realized he might need something, too.

 

He let Baekhyun take a hold of him and begin to return the favor. But with a particularly nice tug to his cock, Sehun made a small mistake and pulled a little too hard on Baekhyun's. The man made a pained groan and Sehun felt some of his own personal high falter. He looked down at Baekhyun and was about to ask if he was okay. Baekhyun met his stare.

 

"I asked for your love, Sehun," he said, still stroking Sehun under the fabric. "Tell me what I need to hear. You know what I need to hear."

 

Sehun did know what he needed to hear. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but they got stuck right before they passed his lips. Was he prepared to speak that lie? True or not, it was going to put a bond between him and Baekhyun that might not be so easy to sever. But Baekhyun had a need to hear it, and Sehun promised to fill that need.

 

“I love you…” Sehun whispered, letting the words flow out of him, deep in voice and heavy in his head. The effect was almost instant. The smile Baekhyun gave him was so bright it rivaled the sun. Sehun had been warm all day, but this new warmth was something else altogether. He felt needed again and that filled him with a satisfaction he hadn't felt in a long time.

 

Baekhyun didn't take long to finish after that; coming to Sehun's words and the hand on him at the same time. Sehun wasn't far behind, already having his needs fulfilled helping him along. They were both tired, but Sehun settled next to Baekhyun to cuddle.

 

He pulled himself up to nuzzle his face in the crook of Baekhyun’s neck and lay kisses along the column of pure skin. Baekhyun had somehow made him feel wanted despite himself and he couldn’t be happier. He felt like, even if it was for a single lonely moment, Baekhyun needed him. That was enough to keep going for another day.

 

Baekhyun giggled at the sensation and turned to give Sehun a proper kiss on the lips. It was full, solid, and grateful, but not passionate like a true lover's might have been.

 

“I love you, too," he finally returned, burning Sehun's worth into his eardrums.

 

Both were lying. Both knew it. Under the guise of filling a hole, they instead dug themselves deeper. In the end, they would bury themselves.

 

Neither of them cared.

 

\-----

 

Sehun woke to a throbbing head and the shivers. He didn't feel like he can move like a proper human being and everything hurt. He turned his head to the side, but Baekhyun had long since disappeared. The space next to him was cold, but Sehun still felt sticky and needed. It was something nice to wake to in comparison to the aches.

 

He managed to finally get himself to sit up and he groaned from the effort. This was not normal. He felt way too hot, worse than yesterday's constant heat, even though he was shivering like mad. Everything hurt even worse than the usual, lingering ache in his arm.

 

When he finally managed to clean himself up a little and get himself into his day clothes, he finally left the tent. No one else was up yet, but that was for the best because Sehun had a sudden bout of nausea and ran for the bushes. He hadn't eaten anything since last night when they set up camp, so most of what came up was bile. It was uncomfortable, and he didn't feel any better afterwards.

 

The retching made him dizzy and nauseous all over again and his stomach tried to empty itself again. It didn't succeed this time and only caused his stomach to hurt and clench. By the time he no longer needed to gag, there were tears in Sehun's eye from the effort. He startled when a hand met his back and he straightened up.

 

He turned to find Luhan in all his fiery eyed glory.

 

"What's wrong?" he asked, a genuine expression of worry written in the creases of his face.

 

"Don't know..." Sehun answered. Immediately after he spoke, Luhan placed a hand against Sehun's forehead. He looked back at Luhan again and noticed his other hand was on his own forehead. He was comparing their temperatures.

 

"You've got a fever," Luhan finally concluded. "You've been worrying a lot. That might be why." He dropped his hand from Sehun's forehead and from his own and pulled Sehun to sit down close to their small fire pit. They had made the night before to cook their catch, but there was nothing in it currently. Noting Sehun's raised brow, Luhan assured him he could light a fire without Chanyeol's help.

 

Sehun snorted, alerting Luhan to his doubts. Luhan huffed in irritation and picked up a few logs of wood in determination. Sehun watched with amusement as Luhan struggle to build a fire for the next few minutes. Every time he managed to get something together, his fire would collapse in on itself. It sent sparks and smoke everywhere as it started to smother and Sehun was about to tell Luhan to give up. But, after three tries, going on four, Sehun heard a suspicious snap from the direction of the tents. It sounded like the snap of fingers. After the sound, the fire leapt to life as if it hadn't been suffocating only a moment prior.

 

"Ha!" Luhan cheered. He was either not recognizing that Chanyeol had given him a hand or pretending he didn't. "I told you I could do it!"

 

Sehun couldn't help it. He laughed. He laughed so hard he almost fell backwards because Luhan was so cute. He gripped his stomach as he laughed and tried to get control of himself again, but it was hard.

 

"What's so funny?" Luhan demanded, a childish pout on his lips. 

 

Sehun was unable to answer and kept laughing until everyone else was making their way out of their tents. Chanyeol looked wide awake, but Baekhyun looked like he had only woken from a deep sleep seconds ago. Yixing looked like he had been in the middle of grooming himself when the noise disturbed him.

 

"Would you shut up?" Baekhyun grumbled as he crawled out and laid on the ground next to the little fire. At least it was nice and warm there.

 

Sehun got a hold of his laughter a few moments later when the nausea returned. He rolled onto his side to vomit again, bringing the attention of everyone to him.

 

"What's wrong with him?" Yixing asked, looking straight at Sehun. Luhan dismissed his indignation of Sehun laughing at him and cleared his throat.

 

"He's got a fever," Luhan explained. "A pretty high one, too."

 

"We have fever reducers," Yixing reminded, going back to the tent to search through their things. He brought back some of the mixed herbs and gave them to Luhan. "I'll go get some water. There's a little pond over in that direction. I'll be right back." Then he was gone. Baekhyun looked at Sehun with slight worry but didn't say anything.

 

Sehun wasn't expecting much acknowledgement when it came to Baekhyun. Nothing beyond the basics anyway. A little later, it might make sense that they got closer, but not now. Their little arrangement was not spoken of to the others, after all. Luhan would disapprove of the act. But if everyone found out, it might not be the end of the world. So, when Baekhyun didn't supply him any more than a blanket for the shivers, Sehun wasn't offended. It still felt like affection to him.

 

The problem with fevers, Sehun thought to himself, was that you were both hot and cold and nothing felt right. A little while later, when Yixing handed him a medicinal tea, he about gagged. It tasted awful, but it somehow cleared him up a little. His stomach settled, and his headache dulled, but the heat he felt refused to subside. He also remained without a desire to eat, even when Chanyeol made broth for him.

 

"Let's try to get moving," Chanyeol suggested after they had tended to Sehun. Luhan looked like he was about to protest, but Chanyeol held up a hand to quiet his worries. "We'll move slow and take more breaks than yesterday," he promised.

 

The others nodded. Even Sehun agreed they should keep moving. He didn't want to hold up the journey too much. Luhan bit his lip, but he finally nodded in agreement. Chanyeol was doing them a favor by taking them with him. He couldn't make everyone wait.

 

Halfway through the day, he laid down when they stopped to rest and fell into sleep without meaning to. In his dream, he felt like he was burning up. But this felt worse than a fever. This felt like the presence of magic that he recognized by now. His dream self went into a meditative state and found the two clouds of energy that he had grown used to seeing. But there was a third cloud now. This cloud was far too warm, but it was not immediately as combative as the lightning had been. He touched it and it flooded him still with more warmth.

 

Before he could investigate it further, he was being shaken awake.

 

Sehun's eyes shot open and he was staring up at Chanyeol's worried expression.

 

"What's wrong with you?" he questioned, voice elevated. The others were a short distance away. Yixing was cradling a burned hand that Luhan was inspecting and already treating. Baekhyun stood behind Chanyeol, looking with a furrowed brow down at Sehun.

 

"You're steaming," Baekhyun said, soft but uncertain.

 

Sehun, confused, lifted his hand only to discover that he was right. There was steam coming off his skin and the heat was unbearable.

 

Being of the fire element, Chanyeol must have been the only one able to touch Sehun without fear of earning a burn. Even so, his hand was cool to Sehun's burning skin, which meant he at least felt warm to Chanyeol.

 

"That's magic," Yixing said through gritted teeth. "Is your electricity out of control again?"

 

Sehun was pretty sure it wasn't. He had come to control his electricity well and felt quite comfortable using it, so he wasn't sure what was wrong. The headaches were back and so was the nausea, but he had to close his eyes and meditate again to find out what was going on. He finally managed to calm himself down, burning skin or no, and look for his magic. There were the two clouds, the same as he remembered them in his dream. But to his surprise, he found the third cloud from his dream as well, whirling out of control, panicking.

 

What was it though? Was it fire? Had Chanyeol's presence been enough to fulfill a hidden condition? But he wasn't convinced it was hot enough to be the fire element itself. It was hot, and it burned, but not in the same way fire did. Sehun knew true fire magic had to be beyond this. So, what was this?

 

"There's another one," he moaned, the heat making him dizzy. Only Yixing seemed to understand this.

 

"Will it respond to the same methods Jongdae taught you with the lightning?" he asked.

 

"I don't know," Sehun answered, feeling out of breath and too hot to handle. "I'll try."

 

Sehun approached the cloud with his conscious and accepted it. He was afraid of this as much as he had been afraid of his lightning, but it was easier to accept and take into his body. He could question what kind of magic it was later. The cloud calmed with his welcoming spirit and it stopped moving quite so much. The heat died down, but Sehun didn't feel it completely go away.

 

Slumping to the grass once more, he still felt dizzy and hot and nauseous all at once, but it was better. He couldn't help it when he began to fall back asleep, unable to respond to the calls of his name.


	10. Chapter 10

He woke to a tent above his head and a hand placing a cool, soaked cloth on his forehead. He didn't move, and he didn't do more than open his eyes, slow and pained. It was still light outside, and his head was not taking kindly to the brightness beyond the tent.

 

"Oh, you're awake," Luhan's voice came. Sehun should have known that he would be the one to take care of him. Not that Luhan was particularly good at taking care of people, but he seemed to always be the one doing it. Particularly when it was Sehun. But then again, he did claim to come from that great place in the sky. The place that some people called heaven. He claimed to know the woman that sacrificed her life for Sehun's. He claimed Sehun was worth more than he gave himself credit for.

 

"Why are you here?" Sehun breathed out, finding very little strength to speak.

 

"To take care of you," Luhan answered. His voice was soft, knowing Sehun must still feel unwell. Sehun was grateful for that. His head was still throbbing, and any loud sounds would make it worse. "Your fever has gone down."

 

"You know that's not the question I was asking," Sehun growled, eyes snapping in Luhan's direction. The boy was staring back at him, resignation on his face.

 

"My answer is still the same," he said. "I'm here to take care of you."

 

"You told me you were here for something else, though. Someone sent you."

 

"I _am_ here for something else," Luhan agreed, sitting back to get comfortable. "But that doesn't mean I can't still look after you."

 

"Why were you sent here?" Sehun asked, quick to move on and get back to the subject at hand.

 

Luhan's hands dropped to his lap and he looked down at Sehun with a stern expression on his face. "I am here to look for someone,” he finally answered.

 

"Why?" Sehun asked, still not sure what Luhan had to gain from being on this journey. "Who are you looking for?"

 

"The next king of Ilesseas," Luhan answered, finally giving up. Sehun would keep asking until he got his answer, anyway. "Or as you call it, the Sky Kingdom."

 

Sehun's eyes widened and he shifted onto his side, causing the cloth on his forehead to fall. "Then you're in the wrong place," he said, looking up at Luhan. "You should be looking in the royal family of the current king."

 

Luhan laughed a little, sudden and soft, but he didn't immediately offer an explanation. "You don't know, do you?" he said, more of a statement than a true question.

 

"What is there to know?" Sehun questioned. "The role of king goes from one son to the next forever until the line dies or is overthrown. That's how all monarchies work." Then he hesitated, seeing slight amusement in Luhan's face. "Isn't it?"

 

"No," Luhan laughed, still smiling as he pushed Sehun back onto his back so he could place the cloth again. "Quit moving. You'll make yourself dizzy again." Sehun moved back onto his back with a grumble. He was already tried of this laying in one place thing again. "There are a few different systems of monarchies, but Ilesseas is even more special."

 

"How is it special?" Sehun questioned.

 

"Every king is not from the same line," Luhan answered him. "There is a selection process, and I am a part of it. In theory, successors could come from the same line. It is always possible, but it is not expected."

 

"What kind of king gives up that power to someone not of his kin?" Sehun asked.

 

"The right person," Luhan answered. "And it is my job to find that person. Someone who cares about the wellbeing of others. Someone who is kind and does not let their greed get the better of them. Someone who is brave enough to face their fears and complete everything he sets out to do. That is the kind of person I am looking for."

 

"Sounds like you're looking for perfection," Sehun grunted. "Good luck finding anyone like that."

 

"I know they exist," Luhan chirped, confidence radiating from his pores. "The gods told me I would know who they are upon sight. It's part of the gifts bestowed upon me to make this easier."

 

"So, you're coming along with us to see more people," Sehun concluded. "The more places you go, the more likely it is you will find him. That's what you aim to achieve from following us across the continent."

 

"Could be," Luhan said with a soft smile. "Or I could be following you because Taeyeon asked me to bother you."

 

Sehun turned his head away at that. He felt the dizziness shake him, but he didn't care. He didn't want to hear Luhan spout this nonsense about Taeyeon in the afterlife.

 

"She loved you, you know," Luhan added. "Said the reason she died for you was because any member of the family would have done the same. But it wasn't only for you-"

 

"Stop it."

 

"-She died for the rights of her son. A young mage. Powerful, but oh so naive."

 

"I said stop it!"

 

"He loved too hard like she did. He got her eyes that reflected the same sunlight and a love for those gemstones. She saw him in you and that's why she grew so close to you. She-"

 

Sehun sat up, an abrupt move that caused him great dizziness and nausea. He pushed Luhan away, causing the smaller boy to fall back on his butt. He stopped talking for a moment, silence stretching between them. But despite how hurt Luhan looked, he did not break eye contact with Sehun.

 

"It would hurt her to see you like this," he finally continued, voice quiet but hard with truth. "She saved your life for a reason. Live it. For her."

 

Then he stood, wiped the dust from himself, and left Sehun in the tent alone.

 

\-----

 

Yixing came to tend to Sehun later. He fed Sehun medicated soup to get the fever to continue to fall and replaced the soaked towel every so often. But the difference between Yixing and Luhan was the quiet. Yixing didn't talk much and it led to some long, hard to bear silences between the two of them. Most of the time Sehun preferred to pretend he was asleep to avoid it all.

 

But after a long while, Sehun heard Yixing finally speak up. "What did you and Luhan speak of earlier?" he asked. "He seemed upset."

 

"Nothing," was Sehun's immediate reply. Yixing, to his credit, left it at that. If Sehun was not willing to speak of it, then he wouldn't bring it up. But there were things that Yixing needed Sehun to know, whether he liked it or not. So Yixing switched topics.

 

"It is only Chanyeol who now does not know of your sexual adventures, now," he hummed. He was good at making these things sound like wholesome conversation.

 

Sehun still stiffened and scrutinized anything he could find in Yixing's voice. The thick fabric of the tent would keep the sound locked in at that volume. But more important was that Sehun couldn't tell if there was judgement hiding in the tone. Sehun sighed and opened his mouth to reply, but Yixing hushed him.

 

"I am not here to tell you to stop," he promised Sehun. "You have your own reasons. Reasons Luhan doesn't understand, but they are yours. I only want you to know that he worries, and I do as well. You should not feel embarrassed to speak to me if you get hurt."

 

"I'm fine," Sehun grunted, wishing the ground would swallow him up.

 

"Now, yes," Yixing conceded. "You have Baekhyun right now, correct?" Sehun didn't reply. He hated that Yixing seemed to know everything. Yixing ignored Sehun's discomfort and continued. "But in the future, if you find you've gotten yourself in over your head, I will not judge you for asking for help. Whatever kind of help you desire. If you need patching up should a mistake occur, I will help you. And if you wish to end it with that life, I will help you then as well. That is all I will say. Please, be careful of the partners you choose."

 

Then he left so that Sehun could continue to rest. Sehun was at least grateful that Yixing had made the offer. At the current moment, Sehun didn't see himself needing to continue with it. Not for reasons of fixing or breaking himself anyway. As long as Baekhyun was around and needed him, he would be fine. But money was a different story. Sehun could see where a mistake might occur, and he wouldn't know where to go. It was good to know Yixing would be there.

 

Sehun didn't expect Baekhyun to come to him that night. So, it was a surprise when he slipped into his tent again. He sank down next to Sehun after dark and ran his fingers through Sehun's golden hair.

 

"Do you feel all right?" Baekhyun asked, slipping back into the affection of the previous night. "We don't have to do anything if you don't feel well enough."

 

But Sehun, despite his weakness, still wanted. He pulled Baekhyun down to him and kissed him, mouth insistent against Baekhyun's. Baekhyun didn't seem to mind. He responded with less urgency than Sehun, but he let Sehun do what he wished.

 

A few whispered words later and Sehun was pushing up Baekhyun's shirt. He kept pushing until Baekhyun was completely removing the shirt from his body. Baekhyun pulled at Sehun's shirt as well, looking to put them on an even playing field.

 

By the time they made it to their pants, they were having a serious conversation with their eyes. "Is this okay?" "What would make you comfortable?" "Do you want to be in control?" Neither of them asked aloud, but answers came without difficulty.

 

It wasn't long before Baekhyun lay on his back, hand down between his legs. Baekhyun opened himself up to save Sehun's energy and Sehun took in everything. He watched the way Baekhyun's fingers worked and he wondered if he could replicate it on himself.

 

It wasn't long after that that Sehun found legs wound around his hips and he was looking down at Baekhyun below him. His hips moved of their own accord, instinct taking over like it usually did. He watched Baekhyun's face contort with sweet pleasure even after only getting started. Every push and pull drove Sehun crazy. Baekhyun only made it worse with all his delicious noises of satisfaction. Then he asked for more kisses and Sehun could only swallow the pleasured noises when he leaned down.

 

He felt the need in Baekhyun's nails as thy raked down his back. He was wound tighter than a coil and so ready for his climax. Sehun wanted to give him whatever he needed. He stroked Baekhyun's swollen cock with a messy hand, urging him onward.

 

Baekhyun didn't have to give him much instruction this time. Sehun felt kind of proud of himself. His hand on Baekhyun seemed to be doing enough and so were his thrusts. Baekhyun let out a loud moan when he finally spilled between their stomachs. Sehun stilled for a moment, worried someone might have heard. But no one came to see what was happening, and he held onto Baekhyun's trembling form.

 

"Finish, Sehun," Baekhyun whispered, burying his face in Sehun's sweat coated neck. He tightened his legs around Sehun's waist, not letting him go anywhere. "Give it to me, and tell me what I need to hear."

 

Sehun listened and again wondered if he was ready to give that up. He had never tainted anyone with his seed before, making that a personal rule with clients. But Baekhyun was asking him to do it and he was considering it. For whatever reason, he decided to break his rule only for Baekhyun.

 

Filling Baekhyun up felt like he was claiming him in a way. Calling him his own and leaving the evidence of such ownership. When he finished, he couldn't resist pinning him down to lavish him with kisses and those three words. Baekhyun ate them all up like he was starving. He drank the attention like he hadn't had water in weeks. And he returned the three words with confessions as false as Sehun's.

 

None of it was real, but it was what Baekhyun needed to feel alive. Filling that need was what gave Sehun purpose.

 

Baekhyun slipped away before Sehun even fell asleep this time. But it didn't take away from the way Baekhyun had called his name and made him feel wanted. Sehun felt his self-worth begin to depend on Baekhyun's needing him. In the end, it wouldn't be enough for a lifetime either. But for now, it was enough for the next day.

 

He fell into feverish sleep and dreamed of a day when he no longer needed to feel worthless. He dreamed Taeyeon was alive and his father was beside him. He even dreamed of his mother and her hair made of starlight. He cried for them. He cried for them all and wished his life could have turned out happier.

 

The sounds of distorted bird calls had him tossing and turning all night.

 

The morning came, and this dream was gone with the rising of the sun. His fever had returned in full force and Chanyeol had to be the one to pick him up and take him to the river. He dropped Sehun naked into the cold waters to cool him off.

 

"This is going to kill you if you can't figure out what it is," Chanyeol warned. "You know how magic works. Jongdae taught you. Use it."

 

"I don't..." Sehun began, breath coming short. He was so hot, and he felt like he was close to death's door once more. "I don't know w-what it is..."

 

"Use it," Chanyeol urged. "Figure it out and invite it into you. Magic wants to feel welcomed, not denied. Especially by its master. Treat it with respect."

 

"Magic is not a p-person," Sehun breathed. He didn't know why this cloud was so difficult to act accommodating towards. It had calmed when he accepted it, but it had not settled. Still, he did as Chanyeol said and called on the mysterious magical cloud in the back of his conscious. He called it forward and urged it to do something, anything.

 

The sun above them broke through the dense fall clouds and shone down on them and their surroundings. He was on the verge of passing out when Luhan and Yixing began to complain of how bright the sun was.

 

It continued to get hotter and hotter around them, so warm it felt unnatural. All of a sudden, Baekhyun stepped in, pushing Chanyeol away from Sehun.

 

"Stop it," he ordered, taking Sehun's arm. "Tell it to stop. It'll listen." His voice held an urgency in it that Sehun hadn't heard before. What was wrong?

 

The trees around them were starting to wilt under the intense heat of the sun. Yixing was panting, finding it harder to breathe in the thick heat surrounding him. Luhan was looking rather dizzy, himself, needing to take a seat on the ground.

 

"Tell it to stop," Baekhyun repeated, the panic rising in his voice. "You're talking to the sun. It's supposed to bring life, not destruction."

 

With those words, the heat made sense. It was not fire. It was the sun. Sehun used the last bit of his senses to stop the magic. He took a hold of the threads of control. His hold was firm, not letting it slip away like he used to allow his wind and electricity to. The heat subsided, but the fever remained.

 

He passed out in Baekhyun's arms.

 

He woke after another dunk in the river and Baekhyun was staring at him as if he had grown an extra head. Sehun felt better, but he did not yet feel well. It was a natural fever now, but it still needed time to die before he would feel normal again.

 

They spent another day at that camp. They would travel again tomorrow when Sehun's fever had subsided and stayed down. Luhan watched him again, but this time he said nothing to upset the younger boy. Sehun almost didn't like the silence as much as he thought he would. It had become abnormal and strange and he wanted Luhan to speak again.

 

Sehun found himself bored while Luhan looked out the open flaps of his tent at the sky. He was waiting to change Sehun's towel again and tried to find things to occupy his mind. Sehun needed something to do as well. All this lying around was boring him further. A few moments more and he couldn't stand the silence any longer. But Sehun didn't choose to fill that silence with conversation. Instead, he started to whistle bird songs that Taeyeon had taught him. His favorite still was not an easy call to imitate, but he hadn't been practicing. He hadn't been able to much since he fell in the river behind his old home.

 

After a little while, he realized Luhan was staring at him. He likely had been for a while now, but it made him nervous all the same. He stopped whistling and the silence resumed. They stared at each other for a long moment, neither moving. It wasn't until the silence stretched that the whistling resumed. But it was not Sehun who was whistling, and it was even far less skilled than Sehun's own tittering.

 

Sehun couldn't stop the little chuckle that left his lips. Luhan looked so earnest as he struggled to copy the song of the bird. Sehun tried again as well, sitting up to show Luhan how to place his tongue for the simpler calls. For the more difficult calls, he showed him how to place his fingers in his mouth to manipulate the sound. Sehun wasn't the teacher that Taeyeon was, but she had managed to leave him with a few tricks. It was all he could teach Luhan.

 

He spent a few short, perfect moments with Luhan like this. He laughed and whistled and Luhan laughed with him and whistled back. It was happening again. Sehun couldn't stay mad at Luhan. Not even a little bit.

 

Their bird calls dissolved into whistled tunes and general noise at each other. Sehun was laughing like he hadn't in far too long. He forgot about everything for a few moments and he sighed in relief as he forgot the weight of his guilt.

 

But it all came crashing down when for a split second, he saw Taeyeon sitting there instead of Luhan. She sounded like all the birds in the forest for a brief moment before she disappeared back into his memory. He blinked and Luhan was back, butchering bird calls with that embarrassed smile on his face.

 

He stopped when he saw the expression on Sehun's face drop.

 

"What's wrong?" he asked, reaching forward. Sehun jerked back from that hand, and that's when he realized there were tears falling down his face. He rubbed at them, trying to banish them, but Luhan grabbed his hands to stop him. "It's okay," he assured Sehun. "I won't tell anyone."

 

Sehun hesitated, but he didn't pull his hands back and Luhan took that as a sign. He pulled Sehun closer and held his head to his shoulder. All his movements were slow. It was as if he were trying not to frighten off a skittish animal.

 

"Cry," Luhan insisted. "Let it out this one time."

 

Sehun didn't feel like he had the right to, but he did anyway. His sobs were quiet but no less heart wrenching as he let go of all the tears he had been holding in. He soaked Luhan's shoulder with his tears, but Luhan didn't complain and he didn't let Sehun go. Sehun was grateful for that as he let his guilt consume him. He missed Taeyeon and he couldn't help feeling responsible for her death. He wanted life to go back to what it was, no matter how hard it was. He let himself have these moments with Luhan, allowing himself to feel the emotions. Luhan didn't let go until Sehun made the move to do so.

 

Pulling back, Sehun wondered for the briefest of moments why the world seemed to slow down. For a second, he thought the wind picked up as he stared at Luhan. His eyes were alight with stars and a universe Sehun could never hope to know. It kind of felt like he was falling into them. Falling. Falling. Deeper. Deeper.

 

"I won't tell," Luhan repeated, laying Sehun back. It pulled Sehun from his thoughts for now. "Now get some sleep. I know a good cry makes anyone sleepy."

 

He was right. Such an out-pour of emotion had drained Sehun of any fight he had in him. He didn't want to talk about it and he was glad Luhan for once wasn't pushing it. He woke up hours later with Luhan gone to sleep in his own tent.

 

Baekhyun came to see him, but all he asked for was an arm around his waist. He appeared bothered by some thought of his, but he didn't speak of it. Sehun took a deep, relaxing breath and closed his eyes again.

 

"You're not going to ask?" Baekhyun whispered. Sehun opened his eyes again and looked down at the head of brown hair under his chin.

 

"Ask about what?" he questioned.

 

"How I knew," Baekhyun clarified. "How I knew what your magic was doing."

 

The thought hadn't crossed Sehun's mind, if he was honest. Right after quelling his powers, he had passed out. After waking, Baekhyun hadn't shown himself until now. Sehun's fuzzy mind couldn't process complex thought well, right now.

 

But now he was curious.

 

"How did you know?" Sehun asked, since Baekhyun seemed willing to share. But Baekhyun hesitated to tell him, even though he had brought up the topic.

 

Instead of speaking, Baekhyun turned around in Sehun's arms to face him. He looked up at Sehun with those brown eyes of his, almost a little shy. But he smiled a little and took a steadying breath. As soon as he did, his body began to glow with a soft light. It caused Sehun to pause for a few moments, trying to register what exactly he was seeing. Then Baekhyun reached forward and touched Sehun's arm. His touch was warm; warmer than his usual body heat.

 

"I knew because I have power over the sun and it's light," Baekhyun finally answered. "I didn't know right away what you were doing, but I recognized the magic. Why were you letting it run wild?"

 

"Because I didn't know what it was," Sehun answered. "I didn't know what it could do and I didn't know how to use it."

 

"I can teach you," Baekhyun offered. "Chanyeol might know how to explain things better, but I know the sun better than he does."

 

"If you could help me learn, that would be great," Sehun hummed. "The Crown Prince would be happy that I'm learning, too."

 

"The Crown Prince?" Baekhyun repeated.

 

Sehun nodded. "He told me to keep my powers under control," Sehun explained. "And Chanyeol coming along with me doubles as insurance that I do so."

 

"Do you know what they are? Chanyeol and the Prince?" Baekhyun asked, voice soft and hesitant. Sehun was about to ask where that question came from, but then he looked into Baekhyun's face. There were lines of worry on it and eyes that refused to meet his. There was even a tinge of flush that became more obvious as the sunlight faded from his skin.

 

"As far as I know, they are friends," he answered, choosing to not bring attention to it. Baekhyun seemed to relax at that answer. The tension in his posture faded and he molded back into Sehun's arms with a content sigh.

 

They didn't talk much after that, and Sehun was content to fall asleep like this. It was the first night Baekhyun had stayed with him and didn't leave after Sehun fell asleep.

 

Sehun woke to the brown head of hair still under his chin, wrapped up tight in his arms. He tried not to move too much, wanting to let Baekhyun sleep a little longer if he needed it. Sehun felt much better after yesterday. His fever was either gone or almost there and the persistent ache that had been in his muscles had faded.

 

It ended up not being long before Baekhyun stirred from his sleep. He shifted his legs first, then he buried his head a little farther into Sehun's chest.

 

"Good morning," Sehun whispered, dropping a morning kiss to the crown of Baekhyun's head. "Did you sleep well?"

 

"Yes," Baekhyun answered, voice full of sleep. He reached a hand up to rub the sand from his eyes. Then he tilted his head up to press a kiss to Sehun's chin. Then he wrapped his arms around Sehun's middle.

 

"You're clingy," Sehun teased.

 

"Look who's talking," Baekhyun grumbled. Then a beat of silence before pressing his nose to Sehun's neck. "You smell like sweat."

 

"I don't know what you want from me," Sehun grumbled. "I got dunked in a river twice."

 

Baekhyun didn't answer. Instead, he latched his mouth onto Sehun's neck and suckled on it. It was then that Sehun felt the mood change between them.

 

"Do you need something?" Sehun asked, not pushing Baekhyun away. If Baekhyun had a need for him, Sehun was more than happy to give himself away.

 

"Yeah," Baekhyun answered, pulling his mouth away. "I need you out of these clothes."

 

Sehun complied.

 

He let Baekhyun have him this time as repayment for giving him control the previous time. Baekhyun opened him up on a few impatient fingers, but Sehun didn’t mind the sting. He minded the stretch even less as Baekhyun filled him up.

 

Sehun didn’t often get as turned on as he was right now, but the residual heat of fever was doing something to his brain. The need was intense, and it reduced him to a mess of begging and moaning for more, harder, faster, longer. Baekhyun had him the way Sehun liked it; on his hands and knees. He slammed quick into Sehun’s heat, fingers gripping Sehun’s hips tight enough to bruise. He brought him back to meet skin to skin over and over and Sehun couldn't believe how good this felt. Never had he experienced a morning fuck that brought him so close to the edge so fast. He was so close to release that he almost couldn’t stand it.

 

Baekhyun giving him orders filled his head with a haze. He almost couldn't see in front of him anymore, thinking too hard about earning his praise. He was close, and he could feel Baekhyun getting there as well.

 

In two seconds, it all came crashing down.

 

Someone pulled their tent flap back without warning and it broke the spell on Sehun's head. The haze disappeared and his hearing sharpened. He realized there was too much light in the tent. He heard quiet chatter a distance from the tent; Luhan and Chanyeol were up. Even his nose picked up the telltale smoke of a fire.

 

Yixing popped his head inside, fixing the two of them with a stare.  Sehun froze and looked up at Yixing, horrified. But Yixing didn’t give this expression any attention. Sehun was, at the very least, grateful that Yixing hadn't pulled the tent flap completely back. It was only enough for him to peek inside.

 

“Breakfast is ready,” Yixing said, unconcerned by the scene he was witnessing.

 

Sehun flushed with the deepest embarrassment he had ever felt. Baekhyun, on the other hand, took complete control of the situation. He leaned over Sehun farther, resting his chest on Sehun's back. He planted his hands on the ground on either side of Sehun's form; a dominating pose. He stopped the hard thrusts, but he kept rolling his hips into Sehun. It was as if he were claiming his property in front of Yixing.

 

“We’ll be out soon,” Baekhyun told him.

 

Sehun whimpered and he couldn't bring himself to look Yixing in the eye. He didn't know if he would be able to again after this. To hide his embarrassment, he let his chest sink to the blanket below them where he could hide his face.

 

"You should leave, Yixing," Baekhyun added, stopping his movements all together.

 

Yixing only hummed in response to Baekhyun’s words and let the flap close as he exited. Then Baekhyun reached down to run a comforting hand through Sehun's hair.

 

“Don’t like when others watch?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.

 

Sehun shook his head.

 

“I’m sorry, love,” Baekhyun said, sounding genuine enough. “I didn’t know.”

 

Sehun took a few breaths, still too full to completely relax. “Thank you,” he said. Then, to let Baekhyun know he had accepted the apology, he tensed around Baekhyun’s cock to urge him to finish. Baekhyun caught the hint and smirked, sitting up again and pulling Sehun up by the hair to continue. He returned to his quick pace, already eager for his climax. It didn’t take long. He finished inside of Sehun only a few moments later. It was too bad Yixing's appearance had ruined Sehun's orgasm.

 

Sehun still relished the warmth that spread through him from Baekhyun's release. He had waited for Baekhyun to pull out before sitting up and turning for a kiss.

 

“I love you,” he purred, their false affections coming easy to his mouth.

 

"I love you, too. I'm sorry that didn't go quite right," Baekhyun apologized. "I didn't think anyone would bother us."

 

Sehun shrugged and swiped a finger over the back of his thigh to catch the release that dripped from his hole. He brought it to his mouth for a taste. “I can forgive an accident," he hummed before licking his finger clean. "But don’t forget it’s my turn next time.”

 

Baekhyun watched Sehun's fingers, still hungry for more than the promised breakfast. He would have to wait.

 

Traveling resumes the next day when the last of Sehun's fever disappeared. It was good to be on the road again, but that whole day found Sehun learning the finer points of magical control. Baekhyun, it seemed, was not a patient teacher. He got things done, but he would get frustrated with Sehun's lack of control and stomp away. Chanyeol often had to take over.

 

At least Sehun had his power under a general control again. Now he needed to keep it that way, and he prayed nothing else would surprise him. He was wary of every traveler they passed, not wanting another power to crop up, but for weeks, none ever did.

 

Sehun and Baekhyun had fallen in sync with each other. They knew when it was okay to approach each other and when the other needed some reassurance. Sehun's nightmares were more frequent when he and Baekhyun hadn't done anything in a while. Baekhyun was also more demanding if they hadn't acted on their deal in about a week.

 

They had grown close, and it was getting harder to keep what they were doing a secret. They still weren't in love, but they did agree that they needed each other to stay sane. Without him, Sehun was sure the worthlessness and the guilt would eat him alive.

 

Luhan was still a great source of comfort, and true to his word, he hadn't told anyone of his breakdown. But the problem with Luhan was that he reminded Sehun of Taeyeon too much sometimes. He cared for Sehun often, making sure he ate and slept. On the days they shared a tent, he would talk about everything he could think of.

 

Things didn't always make sense to him and he had a million questions for Sehun at the end of every day. Some questions, Sehun couldn't answer, but others he gave the best answers he could. One night, they sat out under the stars and talked. He had looked over at Luhan and felt a powerful urge to kiss him.

 

Instead of acting on the urge, Sehun had made an excuse and went to bed. But that night was less than restful. It was full of questions of his own, wondering what he was feeling. He found Luhan attractive, yes, but Sehun had found a fair few people attractive before. He had been close to people, not quite in the way he felt close to Luhan. They disagreed often, and they didn't spend all their time together, but that didn't matter. Sehun felt connected to Luhan on a deeper level than what he had ever felt before, and it was confusing him. It was even scaring him a little.

 

He tried to push the thoughts off the next morning.

 

\-----

 

"Alright," Chanyeol grunted, stopping them for the day. "I'm going to go get us something to eat," he declared, already grabbing Sehun's bow. He was quite the skilled archer, but Sehun still held the title of master in the group. His natural ability to aim and then sharpen his accuracy with the wind was an immense help. Sehun hated to hand over his bow, but no one thought it was fair that he be the only one to catch their food.

 

Since Sehun's fever, Luhan hadn't stopped whistling butchered bird calls. He seemed to be grateful when he got the chance to walk beside Sehun and exchange whistles. Sehun didn't mind either, using it as an excuse to practice.

 

Yixing was still a walking medicine cabinet. He dispensed elixirs and teas for everyone's ailments along the way. He even made sure Sehun was doing well on the long walk. Though Sehun felt tired, he was able to tell Yixing that he was fine.

 

Baekhyun was sometimes more tired than them all. He tried hard not to whine, but when they came out, Chanyeol would offer to carry him for a little bit. Feeling like a burden, Baekhyun would then take back how tired he was. Sehun always noted these exchanges with a small smirk to himself.

 

There were some nights where Sehun and Baekhyun would toss mental coins on how they wanted to play. Would they be gentle, or would they go hard? Would they whisper sweet words to each other or insult and embarrass whoever was not in charge? It was hard to figure out what to do when he almost caught Baekhyun calling someone else's name. But it was a reminder that what they did was all an act. It wasn't real. Someday, with a little hope, they would find the real thing. Full release. True worth. Real love.

 

By the time they finally made it into the next town, their little act was already fraying at the edges. Sehun realized that correction and praise once every few days was not enough to keep him from falling apart. Sometimes he could even tell his false words of love were not enough for Baekhyun either.

 

For now, there were other issues to occupy their time. Making it to the next town was the easy part, but getting enough money for more supplies required work again. Sehun fell back into his old habits and found a simple job with lots of contacts. From there, he found clients. It seemed that in this small town, everyone was looking for someone new and appealing. He and Baekhyun did this job for a few days, raking in the money before coming back to feel clean and wanted again.

 

The morning before they left the town, Luhan woke Sehun at an early hour. He asked Sehun to dress and meet him outside. Sehun, knowing what happened last time he had followed Luhan, hesitated. He wouldn't follow again without an explanation.

 

"It'll be different this time," Luhan assured Sehun. "The same, but different."

 

Sehun sighed and got up. He dressed and came out to meet Luhan a few minutes later and they began to walk. He couldn't immediately tell where they were, but he knew what a shrine looked like. It was smaller and not as well kept as the one in the capital city, but it was still recognizable. He hesitated at the gate as if he were going to burn upon entering.

 

"I'm not asking you to believe," Luhan whispered, understanding Sehun's hesitation. "I'm asking you to sit with me. Please. I can do this without you, but I would like you to be here."

 

He doesn't know why, but Sehun felt himself give in to something in Luhan's voice. A silent asking for understanding that Sehun didn't understand at all. He still didn't move on his own, but he didn't pull back when Luhan took his hand and led him inside.

 

They were in front of the pool of water before Sehun even registered it. He sat down next to Luhan but looked down at the water with contempt. Luhan paid him no mind while he dipped his hands in and cleansed his face with the clean water. Then Luhan went into silent prayer and Sehun stayed still; waiting.

 

Outside of the shrine, Sehun could hear the people or the city rise from their sleep. It felt like a long time had passed since he and Luhan had arrived, but it likely hadn't been as long as he thought it was. Luhan had been right about one thing the last time he had made him angry. Taeyeon would not see his what he had been doing to himself as right.

 

He was punishing himself for the things he could not control. He was making himself a slave to his past. He called it a choice, but was it a true choice after all?

 

Hesitating, Sehun reached into the pool and cupped some water in his hands. He still didn't believe, and even if the gods did exist, he was still angry with them, but he could try again. If they heard him this time, he could consider welcoming them back into his life. He could resume talking to his mother and he could extend that to Taeyeon.

 

He took a breath and washed his face in the water, cool with the morning chill. Sehun descended into prayer, closing his eyes and folding his hands as he sat on his knees. Both he and Luhan chose to pray in silence, but outside the shrine, Sehun heard someone begin to sing. It could be they were holding their own prayer ceremony, or they could have been doing morning chores. Sehun didn't mind the sound, though. In fact, it calmed him down as he recited the prayers he knew in his head.

 

Beside him, he felt a change in Luhan. Sehun didn't dare open his eyes to check on him. Whatever was happening, it was for Luhan. If a change occurred in Sehun, too, that would be Sehun's own experience as well. He only sent prayers to the gods, asking for a sign. He didn't know what he needed, but anything to tell him everything would be fine was acceptable.

 

Something to prove his worth. Something to rid him of his guilt. Something to take away all the darkness. Get rid of it all for good.

 

When Luhan finished prayer, they left. Sehun had finished long before him and the singing as well. Luhan looked pleased, but he didn’t say why and Sehun didn’t offer any conversation.

 

That night, as a parting gift to the town, he reduced himself yet again to another man’s toy. But much worse, he allowed bruising and allowed other abuse rivaling Sir Choi. It was a mistake. Sehun came away without orgasm and almost unable to walk. He was bleeding again and feeling as worthless as he had when he left home.

 

The only difference between this customer and Sir Choi was the pay. The purse of gold in his pocket was huge, but he felt sick as he walked away, trembling and horrified. He collapsed only a few houses away from their inn and curled up on himself in an alley, unable to take a step farther. The coins from that experience sat heavy in his pocket. Even though he had agreed that they resembled his worth, all they resembled now was his old life.

 

He had cut ties with Sir Choi the first time he gave himself away to Master Lee, but this was everything else. There were few in Falita that treated him as a person. All most people knew of him was that he was Sir Choi's whore. He was a gold digger and one that didn't respect real relationships. They assigned him worth without knowing who he was, and he was holding them all in that one pouch.

 

When Sehun could finally bring himself to stand, he went to the nearest well. He leaned over the side, checking the depth. He looked down into the blackness and stood there for a few long moments, not breathing. Thoughts of throwing himself in flitted through his head. End it all. That would be much easier than enduring this. His worthlessness ate at his conscious. His failure to protect himself slashed his pride. The guilt from Taeyeon's death, his mother's, swallowed his heart. It would be easy to end it right here. But instead, he curled stubborn fingers against the stone and pushed himself away.

 

He removed the sack of sixty gold pieces he had received from that man from his pocket. He pictured the three copper pieces he got from Sir Choi every day as payment for his services.  He threw it all in and made sixty wishes.

 

He wished for justice, not for him alone, but all those like him who suffered for their magic. He wished for worth, something he could feel more than see. He wished for health, both for him and his friends. He wished for wealth. He wished for luck. He wished for love. The real thing. Not for him alone, but for Baekhyun, and Luhan, and Yixing, and Chanyeol, too. But above all, he wished for happiness. Not for himself, because that was selfish.

 

Happiness should belong to everyone.

 

\----

 

Sehun was glad Luhan was working a late shift tonight. Asking for the help of Yixing was easier. Chanyeol was out getting word to his Prince about where they were. Baekhyun was out as well, likely doing the same things Sehun had been doing.

 

Yixing didn't make comment as he cleaned and applied medicine to Sehun's wounds. He treated everything with a clinical eye, even the embarrassing ones. Yixing had to get up close and very personal with some of Sehun's private areas. He tried to think how the rabbit had seen him naked a million times over when Sehun did not know he was a human in disguise. Or was the rabbit his true form and his human form was the disguise? Who knew.

 

"Why did you find me?" Sehun asked Yixing when he finished. He had patched Sehun up where needed and applied medicines to anything else. Now he was tucking Sehun in like a child, and for once, Sehun didn't mind. Yixing was taking care of him as he had promised he would and Sehun would have to let him.

 

"I've told you before," Yixing hummed, leaning back from Sehun's bed but not leaving his side yet. "My master wanted me to watch you."

 

"But why?" Sehun asked. "I'm not special."

 

"Do you have to be?" Yixing asked. "Sometimes you only need to have special people interested in you. "Others often see promising individuals before the individual sees it. He may know something you don't."

 

"Who is your master?" Sehun questions. "What does he know about me?"

 

Yixing sidestepped the first question and passed to the second without thought. "It appears he knows a lot more than you do," he huffed, making to get up. "Now sleep. We move in the morning, and if you want to keep what's left of your secret, you'll recover and won't limp in the morning."

 

"Why won't you tell me anything?" Sehun questioned. "Luhan doesn't either, and it's driving me insane."

 

Yixing sighed and reached into his pocket for something. "Fine," he snapped. "If you want to know why he thinks you're special, talk to him yourself."

 

The rabbit man produced a little stone from his pocket and held it in his hand. It was diamond shaped and clear at first glance. But upon a second glance, it began to shine with a subtle, light blue light. Yixing stared at the little object for a few moments more before Sehun felt a shiver run through him.

 

"Is something wrong, Yixing?" a voice asked. Sehun startled and looked around the room, confused. He didn't know that voice and he didn't know where it was coming from. Yixing pinched him to bring his attention back to the stone.

 

"Nothing at all, sir," Yixing answered once he had Sehun's attention again. "Unless you call your assignment wanting to know more a problem."

 

There was a little laugh, deep and friendly. "Is he listening right now?"

 

"Yes," Yixing answered. Then he fixed his eyes on Sehun again. "Say hello."

 

Sehun blinked and stared at the little stone before finally opening his mouth.

 

"H-hello..." he greeted, voice uncertain and small.

 

"Hello, Sehun," the voice responded. "My name is Kai. May I ask why you needed to speak with me?" He sounded almost playful; young and energetic. He was not the old man that Sehun pictured on the rare occasion Yixing spoke of his master.

 

"I..." Sehun began, not sure how to begin. "I wondered why you sent Yixing to me."

 

"I sent him because you are someone of interest," Kai answered.

 

"But why am I of interest?" Sehun pressed. "I don't understand."

 

"I'm afraid it is not my place to tell you that," Kai told him, an apology hiding in his words. "Someone else has to tell you who you are before I can pass you more information."

 

"Who I am?" Sehun questioned, brow furrowing. "I know who I am. I am Sehun Oh of Falita in Nimrine. I was born to-"

 

"Junseok and Haerin Oh," Kai interrupted, continuing for him. "You hid your powers your whole life and learned to hunt to put food in your mouth. And you are far more important than you yet realize. I have kept an eye on you as others have and I am pleased you are finally moving in the right direction."

 

"You're still not answering my questions," Sehun complained. "Why am I so important?"

 

"I have said I can't tell you, yet," Kai repeated, a laugh still evident in his voice. "Be patient. I promise, when you need to know, you will know. No one wants to keep you in the dark forever. Strategy is important in this. Our last hopeful didn't follow through because of a lack of strategy."

 

"Hopeful...?"

 

"Oops," that deep voice hummed. "That was a little too much information. I'll leave you to it. Goodnight, Sehun, Yixing."

 

"Wait!" Sehun cried, reaching for the stone. But the stone faded to its clear color and Yixing placed it back in his pocket.

 

"This is why I'm not telling you anything," Yixing told him. "I'm not supposed to until someone else does."

 

"So, I get your cryptic nonsense until this 'someone' decides I'm finally ready to know?" Sehun groans.

 

"Yes," Yixing answered, curt and final. He fixed Sehun's blankets around him again and stepped away from his bed. "Now, please, get to sleep."

 

Sehun nodded in resignation, the pout still on his lips. Then he rolled to his side where less bruising from earlier had occurred. As soon as he closed his eyes, though, Luhan entered the room, keeping sleep at bay for a little longer.

 

Sehun heard a sack of coins drop onto the table in the corner of the room. Then a body slumped into a nearby bed with a ruffle of blankets. Sehun thought Luhan was going to fall straight asleep. The soft voice that followed proved otherwise.

 

"Was he out again tonight?" Sehun heard Luhan ask. He didn't move, not wanting to make it obvious that he was awake. Especially when the topic was about himself.

 

"He was," Yixing answered, never being one to lie. Sehun was glad he didn't elaborate.

 

"I wish he would stop," Luhan sighed. "It's going to get him hurt or worse one of these days. And I'm not only talking about the physical."

 

"You can't ask him to stop, Luhan," Yixing told him, keeping his voice quiet. "You can only support him and try to encourage a different way of thinking. But stopping is his choice and keeping going is his choice as well."

 

"I know. But he doesn't understand-"

 

"You haven't told him," Yixing interrupted.

 

"No," Luhan returned, lowering his voice further. Sehun's curiosity was building. Told him what? Was this something to do with what Yixing's master had spoken only minutes prior? "It'll scare him."

 

Sehun assumed Yixing might have opened his mouth to say something, but the door to the room was flung open again. The conversation stopped and there was sudden movement around him. It took all of Sehun's acting skills to appear as if he had woken to the noise.

 

"What happened?" demanded Yixing, urgency in his voice. Sehun rubbed his eyes and looked to the doorway. His eyes flew open in surprise at Chanyeol cradling an unconscious Baekhyun in his arms. He jumped up, forgetting his own pain for a few moments and going to Baekhyun's side.

 

There was evidence of someone's touch on him, but it was worse than that. Sehun froze.

 

"Stupid idiot was making people pay to fuck with him," Chanyeol said as he pushed past everyone. He took Baekhyun to a bed where he laid him down to make him comfortable. He was angry and there was evidence of hurt in his eyes. No one had to ask to be sure what he was feeling. It was obvious how distraught this made Chanyeol.

 

"But what happened, Chanyeol?" Yixing asked again. "Tell me what you found."

 

"There was screaming," Chanyeol explained. "I had to meet an informant for the royal family and he was staying in a different inn. The screams were coming from a few doors down. It was that loud. I ran to the room and these two men had him tied to the bed posts. He was kicking and screaming while they had their way with him at the same time. They weren't being safe or listening to him. They kept ignoring his pleas for them to stop and kept going. Before I could process what was going on, one of them slapped him to get him to shut up. That's when I threw them off of him. He was unconscious before I even left the building with him."

 

"Assault," Sehun whispered. Even if Baekhyun had agreed to some things at first, he still had rights as a worker to deny certain actions. Sehun was careful what he allowed because of situations like this. And having a knife on him always discouraged anyone who might consider it. Baekhyun didn't have such protection and likely thought he could handle it himself.

 

"Yes," Chanyeol confirmed. "And I was with a royal guard. They won't let these men off. Even if it's in defense of a... prostitute... those men were acting barbaric."

 

Sehun shivered. It was quite plain Chanyeol didn't like the term "prostitute", but it was what they were. Sehun only hoped justice came to Baekhyun. Abuse of power like that was difficult to handle for many. Sehun knew exactly what it felt like. For a split second, he got lost in those feelings of helplessness and started to lose control of himself. The wind was starting to rustle around the room and pick up the dust.

 

"Sehun."

 

Luhan's calm, firm voice called him back, knocking him out of his fury long enough to catch the magic again. He looked over at the boy and that fire was back. He was angry, too, but he was much more in control of himself it seemed. He reached for Sehun, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck and pulling him down. The action surprised Sehun and he blinked when he found his forehead pressed to Luhan's.

 

"Keep calm," he whispered, a soothing sound in the tense atmosphere. "You've been doing well. Don't lose it now."

 

Sehun felt something shake with happiness in his stomach. It felt awfully like what he felt when Baekhyun gave him orders but different. Sehun didn't usually feel heat in his cheeks when Baekhyun told him to do things like that. His throat didn't usually lock up like this either.

 

Luhan wanted Sehun to be safe, and Sehun couldn't figure out why. They were friends, yes, but Luhan always looked at him and paid special attention to him. Sehun couldn't take his eyes off of Luhan then, doing nothing but nodding his head. Luhan released him then, but Sehun still didn't look away.

 

The sun would be casting its first rays over the horizon in a few hours. None of them would get much sleep. But Luhan's eyes were still as alive and awake as they had always been. They tried to go to sleep, sharing beds again. Sehun and Luhan to one bed, Chanyeol and Yixing wrapped around Baekhyun on another.

 

In the morning, the breaking daylight came to Luhan's sleeping face. It woke Sehun minutes earlier, finding it too bright. But the sight of Luhan had Sehun wondering when he had gotten so beautiful. Had it always been like this? Because he had never noticed quite like this. It was a short-lived moment, because Chanyeol woke moments later. 

 

"All of you," Chanyeol said, calling the attention of everyone. "Gather your things. We're leaving now. I don't want him to wake up to this town. I'll carry him on my back until he wakes."

 

The others nodded their sleepy heads and helped to pack up their belongings. They placed any money they had managed to make in their days there in a pouch that stayed in one of the packs. It would be even longer before they found another town. Chanyeol had warned them civilization of any kind would become sparser. There wasn't much in the west until they reached the sea on the other side. The journey from there would be harder, and they needed to stick together.

 

They left within the hour. Sehun was still limping, but he managed to pass it off as a minor sprain he had incurred during his work the prior day. He didn't need to worry Chanyeol when he was already panicked over Baekhyun. Sehun could imagine the earful the unconscious boy was going to get when he woke up.

 

And when Baekhyun finally did wake up somewhere around high noon, he did get the lecture. Chanyeol called him stupid and thoughtless and questioned what Baekhyun was even thinking. He was furious and Sehun was sure his flames were almost licking his fingers trying to get out.

 

"I needed to feel loved," Baekhyun finally admitted, tears in his eyes. He didn't like Chanyeol being angry with him one bit. He looked so vulnerable when Chanyeol wasn't at his back. "You don't know what growing up for me was like."

 

"Then tell me," Chanyeol challenged, the anger refusing to fade. His brows remained knit together and the frown was deep. "Tell me what going to strangers does for you. They don't love you."

 

"I grew up without my parents," Baekhyun cried, stepping back as if to protect himself. "I grew up with grandparents that couldn't do anything for themselves. I never knew my father and my mother was always off doing hell knows what. For all I know, she was like me, selling herself to make ends meet or for some other reason. Oh, yeah, she would come back sometimes, tell me she loved me, and then leave again. I was sick of it. So, when I left home, I needed to feel loved. I didn't mind that it wasn't real. Even hearing the words made me feel better."

 

"It's an act," Chanyeol hissed. "It won't bring you happiness. You must know this."

 

"An act is enough for me!" Baekhyun shouted. "I wanted my mother there every day to tell me she loved me, but she never was. I had to settle for a few times a year! Do you have any idea what that felt like?"

 

"At least you had that," Sehun burst, feeling a rush of emotion. Baekhyun had never told him why he craved love so much, but now it made sense. However, Sehun didn't understand what Baekhyun was so upset by. At least he had a mother who was able to visit. "I didn't even have that!" Sehun growled. All of his anger had boiled up out of nowhere. "I had a father who knew nothing about me. He loved me, I could tell. But he couldn't protect me. My mother died giving birth to me. She couldn't protect me either. At least you had a living mother who cared about you."

 

"So what?" Baekhyun questioned, turning his anger on Sehun. "You made the choice to follow this path. You are worthless because you believe it. You let men violate you because you believe you deserve it."

 

"And what? You let them violate you because you believe they could ever love you?" Sehun shot back. "At least I have standards. I know what my services are worth now. A lot more than three copper pieces. You let them have you because you're so desperate to feel loved that you'll do anything!"

 

A slap came to his face, but Sehun was not deterred. He fixed his gaze on Baekhyun again, his own rage boiling up. He was holding onto his magic with tight fists, making sure it could not interfere.

 

"Accept it, Baekhyun. You tell me to pretend to love you because I'm the closest you're going to get," Sehun spat. "You're afraid you won't find real love. And I'm the same. I'm not going to find real love after this and I know that and accept it."

 

"If you're so high and mighty, why do you fuck with me anyway," Baekhyun questioned, the hurt making its way onto his face. "I can see with every passing day that it does less and less for you, so why do it?"

 

"Because you need me!" Sehun shouted. "I've grown close to you since we started traveling. When we're not in a bed together, I think of you as my brother. I do love you, but not in the ways you want someone to love you."

 

"Then what's the point?" Baekhyun asked, giving a little mirthless laugh. "No one here loves me the way I need."

 

"Go find your mother," Sehun suggested, the reply coming quick to his tongue. "Go find her and tell her what you've been through."

 

"I can't."

 

"And why not?"

 

Baekhyun paused and closed his eyes, looking away as if he didn't want to say. A hand came down on his shoulder, trying to pull him away from the argument. He had forgotten about the others for a little while. But he shook off the hand and continued.

 

"Why can't you find her, Baekhyun?" Sehun pressed, wanting to know the answer.

 

"Because she died," Baekhyun finally answered, turning his face to Sehun again. This time, there were tears running down his face. Sehun flinched at the sight and felt awful. "In Nimrine a while back. The day after you and I met at the shrine, word came to me that she burned for crimes of wielding magic. In a little village near the border."

 

Sehun froze when all this information passed through his brain. Realization dawned on him for a couple things and he couldn't believe this was happening.

 

He had always had this strange feeling ever since he met Baekhyun and he could never quite place it. Now he understood what it was. Realization number one: that feeling was recognition. Baekhyun shared many of the features he loved in Taeyeon so much. He was her spitting image in a young, male form.

 

Realization number two: he was Taeyeon’s son.

 

Sehun gripped his head, trying to calm himself down. Stop the racing thoughts and the guilt that assaulted him. But when it wouldn't stop, Sehun couldn't look at Baekhyun anymore. His suffering was Sehun's fault.

 

Sehun turned around and went running into the forest, calls of his name going unheard.


	11. Chapter 11

Looking down at the rushing river, Sehun wondered again how easy it would be to drown himself. He was standing on the edge of a cliff, watching the waters hurry by him. It couldn’t be that hard. But he couldn’t get himself to take that next step. He couldn't throw himself in that well either.

 

He was as worthless as he always thought he was. As worthless as Sir Choi made him believe. He wasn't good for anything. He couldn't do this. He didn't want to live anymore. He had hurt the only person that made him feel otherwise, even if the feeling was only temporary. Not only that, but he was the reason Baekhyun no longer had a mother.

 

“Sehun, let’s go back.”

 

Sehun's head snapped in the direction of the voice, eyes wide. Luhan was standing there, watching him. He was calm as if he did not know what Sehun was thinking. As if Sehun’s proximity to the cliff was not an indicator of anything.

 

“I can’t go back there,” Sehun whispered, afraid to even speak. The ache came into his voice easier than he would have liked it to.

 

“You can,” Luhan assured him. “Do what you want with the information you have, but Baekhyun is being given the full story right now by Yixing. What happened to her is not your fault.”

 

“But it is my fault!” Sehun shouted, turning on Luhan. The other boy didn’t flinch. “I accepted her help before I knew what she was doing. She freed me and I ran away while she died. Why didn't I die? I should have. She didn't deserve to die.”

 

Luhan grabbed his face in a tight grip and turned Sehun's head to look at him. Sehun found himself staring into Luhan's face, hard eyes staring into his soul. Sehun didn't know what to do, but the control felt too nice to back away from.

 

“Why do you insist on punishing yourself like this?" Luhan questioned. "There are better ways to punish you than this. Is what you're doing even satisfying whatever ridiculous guilt you're feeling?" That was something Sehun hadn't thought of before. Was it satisfying? If he was still feeling the guilt, then no, it was not. Luhan watched him make that connection before continuing to speak. "The death that you're thinking of is the easy way to deal with this, but no one will be happy to have you gone."

 

"Then what do I do?" Sehun questioned, voice small in the large forest. "I can't pretend like she didn't die. And now Baekhyun..."

 

Luhan growled in frustration and let go of Sehun's face, taking a step back.

 

"Take off your shoes," he ordered, crossing his arms.

 

Sehun blinked in surprise at the order, not used to such requests. "What?" he squeaked.

 

"Take. Off. Your. Shoes." Luhan repeated. He waited until Sehun obeyed, removing his shoes more out of confusion than anything. "Now remove your heavy cloak." He held out his hand, waiting for Sehun to shed that as well.

 

When Sehun handed both items over, Luhan turned back towards camp. He beckoned for a still rather baffled Sehun to follow, which he did. He didn't look back at Sehun while they walked, and Sehun could only do as told; Luhan's confidence making him obey. He didn't know what Luhan was planning, but that tone he took was something Sehun couldn't argue with.

 

They arrived back at camp and Luhan sat Sehun in front of their makeshift fire. He gave Sehun his book that he had been making slow progress on and left him there to read. Luhan then went to speak with Chanyeol, pulling him away from a distressed Baekhyun. Yixing replaced him, supplying Baekhyun with calming words while Luhan and Chanyeol spoke.

 

Their conversation was quick and there were glances thrown in his direction, in Baekhyun's direction well. It felt like they were speaking for hours, but it likely hadn't been more than half an hour at the most. Sehun couldn’t focus on his book at all, much less register the letters on the page. 

 

Chanyeol and Luhan seemed to come to an agreement, nodding to each other. Then they called everyone to the fireside so they could have a discussion.

 

"In light of what has happened, Chanyeol and I have had a discussion," Luhan said. "Sehun's actions recently have been self-destructive and are a cause for concern. They are self-imposed punishments for crimes he believes he has committed. As a result, he is becoming a danger to himself and it needs to stop." Luhan turned to Chanyeol and the mage produced a quill and parchment. He began writing and the ink glowed with a binding spell. Luhan turned back to the others and continued to speak. "Most of us know what has happened, but it would be beneficial to hear Sehun's side of events." He turned his gaze to Sehun and urged him to speak. "Why do you feel the way you do? Start from the beginning."

 

So, Sehun did. He struggled to find words that conveyed his thoughts and feelings, but he tried to continue. He started with his birth and his mother's death. It was something his father never blamed him for, but he didn't have to. Sometimes she would come up in conversation and his father would turn sad. Those times, Sehun would wonder if he should have been born at all. If he hadn't she would still be there with his father.

 

He moved onto the later years, when Sir Choi came into control of him. His already shot self-confidence burned to ash in that period. The worthlessness dug deep into his head and whispered to him even in his sleep. The first time he thought about wanting to die was right before his seventeenth birthday.

 

Then he spoke of the incident in the market and his discovery. Taeyeon had promised to free him, and he had hoped she would, finding a desire to live once there was a threat to his life. But he had assumed she would find some kind of evidence to suggest he was not guilty. He did not expect her to fabricate evidence to indicate herself instead. He tried to say no. He didn't want her to do it. But he left and allowed her to die in his place.

 

Two people had to die for him to live. His father had to give up everything else to save him. Sehun didn't know what to do with those sacrifices. He hated that his very existence brought pain to those he cared about. He couldn't stand it. He felt so guilty after that, the weight of those sacrifices sat heavy on his chest.

 

"I don't know what to do," Sehun finished, crying. "I didn't want anyone to die for me. I didn't ask her to give her life instead. Why couldn't I have died? Why couldn't I have been the one to burn? She did nothing wrong. She had family and someone she was trying to find. I took it all away from her - from her loved ones - because I couldn't die like I should have."

 

Luhan pressed a comforting hand to Sehun's knee, pulling him from his dark thoughts. "She was family to you, right?" Luhan reminded him.

 

Sehun nodded, his lip trembling.

 

"Don't you think she thought of you as such as well?" Yixing mumbled.

 

"It doesn't matter!" Sehun cried. "She had real family!"

 

"She wanted you to live," Luhan insisted, raising his voice over Sehun's cries. "And you are going to live, whether you think you deserve to or not. Her sacrifice as well as your mother's will have been in vain otherwise." Then he paused, and Sehun watched as he made a very visible swallow. "But if you feel you need a way to pay for their gifts, I can give you a way."

 

Sehun wasn't the only one to turn their head to stare at Luhan. Baekhyun and Yixing did, too, confusion written in the lines of their faces.

 

"What do you-" Sehun began. Luhan interrupted.

 

"You have been trying to punish yourself for allowing them to trade their lives for yours," he said. “I don’t think you saw it that way, but your acts as a prostitute have been a punishment to you. Do you agree?”

 

Sehun thought about it for a hard moment. He always told himself it was to earn quick money. It was also to bring himself some worth. But he hated every minute of it. Every single client was another gash in his heart and he didn’t want to do it anymore. Then why did he do it when they never gave him what he needed in full? What Luhan said made some sense. He gave him a stiff nod in answer. "Yes."

 

"But it hasn't been enough?" Luhan added.

 

Again, Sehun agreed. "It hasn't."

 

"That's because the guilty don't pass judgement on themselves," Chanyeol informed him. Sehun jumped, almost having forgotten about Chanyeol. He had been quiet while he wrote out whatever spell he was crafting. "No matter what you do, as long as you are the one punishing yourself, it's never going to feel like enough to you."

 

"Then what do I do?" Sehun asked, pleading for an answer.

 

"Do you think someone else passing judgement on you would help?" Luhan questioned. "Have someone else tell you what your transgressions are worth?"

 

"I can't pay for two lives, Luhan," Sehun whispered. "I can't even pay for one."

 

"No," Luhan agreed. "But you can pay for your right to live."

 

Sehun still didn't see where this was going. "I don't understand."

 

"I'll explain," Luhan promised, "but I need to ask Baekhyun something first."

 

Baekhyun didn't move, still staring at Luhan, frown set deep into his features. "What do you need to ask?" he questioned, voice still rough with tears.

 

Luhan eyed Baekhyun with hesitation. Sehun noted the anger and sorrow in Baekhyun's face and Sehun felt the guilt sink a little deeper.

 

“Do you wish for retribution?” Luhan asked.

 

“For my mother’s life?” Baekhyun asked. Then he paused, thinking. It felt like an eternity to Sehun before Baekhyun nodded his head. “Yes, I do.”

 

Sehun shivered and felt the guilt grip his throat even tighter. It wouldn't surprise him if this ruined any connection he had with Baekhyun. But that was all right. As far as Sehun knew, Baekhyun had every right to be angry with him. He had every right to want him to pay for his mother’s death. Sehun wanted himself to pay for it. He couldn’t stand breathing much longer while Taeyeon’s ashes scattered to the winds. He couldn't even sleep well while her screams still lived in the air.

 

His thoughts quieted when Luhan continued speaking.

 

“I will ask again, Sehun,” Luhan said. “Do you think proper judgement will help you?”

 

Sehun swallowed and gave it some thought. But the answer was clear. His heavy guilt screamed and Sehun found himself nodding to Luhan’s question.

 

"Then as neutral parties,” Luhan said, “Chanyeol and I are acting as your judges. We will hand Sehun a formal sentence." The three not in the know all had the same reactions. Their mouths dropped open and their eyes widened.

 

"You can't be serious," Yixing breathed.

 

"We are," Chanyeol confirmed, never looking up from the magical document he was writing. "I'm certain Sehun needs a formal judgement and punishment to get over his guilt. And Baekhyun admits he wants some kind of justice for his mother. Once Sehun accepts punishment and serves it, they can both go on with their lives. Sehun is right in that he can't pay for a life. She wanted him to live, so his life in return is not a fair trade."

 

Sehun didn't say anything to that. A formal sentence might be exactly what he needed. It would not be easy to bare, but it would be his best opportunity to ease his guilt. He swallowed and finally managed to meet Luhan's eyes. "Then what have you judged to be my sentence?" he asked.

 

"Servitude," Luhan answered. "A year as an indentured servant under the four of us."

 

“That isn’t enough for her life!” Baekhyun growled at Luhan. “She’s dead! I already have few memories of her, and now I'll never get the chance to make more. She's gone!"

 

Chanyeol looked up at Baekhyun with a stern gaze. “It was of her own free will that she gave up her life to save his. Taking his life won’t bring her back, and you know it. Killing him will also mean that she died for nothing. Do you want to do that to her?" Baekhyun flinched at that, but he still looked unsatisfied. Chanyeol continued. "I can’t let you take his life, so I’m giving you the next best thing and putting his life in your hands.”

 

Baekhyun fell silent at that, biting his lip. He wasn’t happy with that. But Sehun also wasn’t sure Baekhyun would have killed him anyway if given the chance. He was angry and upset and it was normal for irrational thoughts to crop up.

 

"What are the terms?" Sehun asked after a beat of silence.

 

"Obeying your masters is not optional," Luhan began, brushing off Baekhyun’s outburst. "That will be the four of us. You will do anything we ask of you, no matter how big or small the task may be. You will no longer own anything, not even the clothes on your back. Everything you have is a gift from us, and we will only provide for your basic needs; food, water, and a layer of clothing. Cloaks and shoes are only granted to those who rank above you; that is why I took them from you. Speak with respect, even to other slaves, if they wear shoes. We will give you a cloak, shoes, or both based on necessity of a given situation.”

 

“So, examples being snow and ice for a cloak?” Sehun clarified.

 

“Correct,” Luhan said with a nod. Then he moved on. “You will be the last to eat at all meals and will not have the luxury of a bed when we stay at inns. All money you make from part time jobs will go straight to us. If you have anything to buy, you must supply a reason for why it is necessary. If your reasoning is sound, we will give you exactly the money you need. Not a single copper piece more.”

 

Sehun nodded and swallowed, feeling uncertain of all the detail. He had been hoping to purchase sun spirits in the next town, but that wouldn't be possible if he agreed to this.

 

Luhan continued with the list of terms, Chanyeol still writing out the contract. “Your privacy is a privilege that we are taking away from you,” Luhan said, folding his arms. The thing that confused Sehun was the that change in posture wasn't even one of dominance. It almost seemed uncertain, uncomfortable, and hesitant. “You will ask to be excused to relieve yourself and if a stranger approaches you for sex, you must report it to us. We may tell you to say no, or we will give you the option to make the choice. If you choose to take them up on the offer, one of us will watch you perform the act.”

 

Sehun shrank on himself at that bit. Baekhyun had learned that Sehun hated when someone else saw him, but this would be worse. It was beyond embarrassing already, and it had completely ruined his orgasm. Now, with the connotation of watching as punishment, Sehun didn’t know if he would be able to tolerate it at all.

 

“I am also building columns into the contract for each of your masters,” Chanyeol added. “Anyone who wishes to create more rules for you may do so. These rules should be held with the same weight as all your other rules. As soon as they make the rule, it will be listed here under their name. Do you understand that?”

 

Sehun nodded. “I understand,” he confirmed. Then he paused. “Anything else?”

 

“Yes,” Luhan answered. “The matters of punishment for failure of any kind.”

 

Sehun gulped, but Baekhyun let out a snort as Luhan went on to recite the rules.

 

“Foot whipping with nothing thicker than a cane will be the punishment of choice. However, punishment isn’t limited to only those. The more you forget, fail, or do not respond in a timely fashion to commands, the more castigation you will endure.”

 

“This is our recommended punishment because of the potential for pain,” Chanyeol interrupted. He spoke to everyone when he explained. “This contract is not a death sentence and will not be used to maim Sehun either. Using nothing larger than a cane and being sure the material is springy is encouraged. It will ensure pain but keep permanent damage at bay. Sehun will be quick to learn under these conditions. There is a provision of five daily lashes he must take regardless of good or bad behavior. This is to ensure he knows his place.”

 

Sehun didn’t think he would have a hard time with that. If they were going to follow through with all of this, he was going to know his place. He would be under everyone here, and under almost everyone everywhere they went.

 

“Everyone can get creative with punishments,” Luhan added. “For example: if someone makes a rule of no cursing and Sehun curses, you could assign lashes, make him eat soap, or both." Luhan stopped for a moment and glanced at Baekhyun. "And since this punishment relates to Baekhyun's mother, he gets special privileges. Baekhyun can increase or decrease punishment as he sees fit.” He looked back at Sehun with a warning in his eyes. “He could punish you even if you've done nothing to incur penalties if that is what he wishes. Treat him with the highest respect and you might escape some of his anger." Then he addressed the whole group. “Does anyone have anything to say or add?”

 

“Plenty to say,” Yixing growled. “This is ridiculous!”

 

“I knew you wouldn’t be happy about this,” Luhan muttered.

 

“Who in the world is happy about this?” Yixing questioned, anger rising in his cheeks. “This is a slave contract. You’re indenturing him for some fictitious crime he believes he has committed.”

 

“Yixing,” Sehun hurried to say, noting Luhan’s discomfort. He gripped Yixing’s hand in his and gave him a pleading stare. He knew this wasn't pleasant for Yixing. He hadn't spoken of slaves or indentured servants with a smile back when he explained them to Sehun. “Let me do this, please.”

 

“Why should I?” Yixing bit back, pulling his hand away. “They’re going to hurt you.”

 

“I want them to,” Sehun whispered.

 

Yixing’s mouth hung open in stunned silence for a few moments, not believing his ears. When he spoke again, it was with disbelief. "How could you want that?" he asked. "You don't have any idea what this will do to you."

 

“I don’t think you understand how much guilt I feel," Sehun told him. "I genuinely believe I am responsible for not only Taeyeon’s death, but my mother’s as well. And if my father is no longer alive either, I feel responsible for his death as well. If my mother hadn’t had me, she would still be here. If Taeyeon hadn’t taken my place, she would be here. If my father hadn’t tried to escape with me, he would be here.”

 

“You’re not thinking about what they wanted,” Yixing hissed. “They did all those things because they loved you.”

 

“I know that,” Sehun told him. “But what about what I wanted? I haven’t been able to breathe properly since leaving that jail cell. Since gaining my freedom, I have felt like I’m even more tightly bound by the guilt. But if they sacrificed themselves so that I may live, then Luhan is right, I must live. But in order for me to want to live, I have to earn that right. Let me earn it. Correct me for the next year. Make me a better person; whatever that means to you. Teach me and let me feel worth something again in a year. Please”

 

Yixing waited. He listened. It was clear he still didn’t understand Sehun’s reasoning, but he had no choice but to accept it. He gave a heavy sigh and gave in.

 

“If you must do this,” he breathed, “then a rule of mine will be to never hear you speak of their wishes as anything but a gift. They gave up their lives because they loved you. And if you ever speak of it again as something that isn’t the pinnacle of love, I will not hold back. I will give you every lash you deserve with thorny rose canes.”

 

Sehun nodded his understanding, wincing at the prospect of such a punishment. “I hope someday when this is over,” he said, “I think of that love instead of the price they paid.” Then he hugged Yixing and the complaint was silent. Yixing would let the contract pass.

 

“Anyone else have anything to add?” Chanyeol questioned. He seemed to be expecting something more, but the others stayed quiet. Luhan and Chanyeol looked at each other, having a full conversation with their eyes. When they looked back, Chanyeol raised his quill.

 

“Baekhyun, do you agree to the contract?” he asked.

 

Baekhyun hesitated, but he nodded his head moments later. “It is enough,” Baekhyun agreed.

 

Chanyeol wrote a short paragraph into the contract; ending it with a flourish. The glowing ink dried into the parchment and Sehun could feel his freedom drying up with it. When Chanyeol finished, he signed it and handed it to Luhan to sign as well.

 

“I’ll need signatures from Baekhyun and Yixing as well,” Chanyeol grunted. When Luhan finished signing, he handed the contract back for Baekhyun and Yixing to sign as well. Yixing’s signature provoked a change in the contract under his column. The rule he had set for Sehun only moments ago was now final. Chanyeol turned to Sehun once more and handed him the contract. “And now, Sehun, you sign at the bottom and I’ll need a drop of your blood as well.”

 

Sehun nodded and pulled out the knife Jongdae had given him, using it to prick his finger. He winced at the slight pain and set the knife aside as blood collected on his fingertip. Luhan’s hand fell over Sehun’s wrist in a gentle grip.

 

“You are sure this is okay?” Luhan asked. “You can still refuse the contract. Chanyeol can write a legal contract, but we are not official judges appointed by the courts.”

 

“With the last bit of my free will, I accept this contract,” Sehun said to Luhan. Then he pressed his fingertip to the page right next to where his signature would go. After leaving the bloody fingerprint behind, he took the quill and signed his full name.

 

As soon as he placed the last letter of his name, the contract floated out of his hands and back to Chanyeol. The fire mage held it up for the rest of their group to see. Sehun almost swore he could feel the magic take effect, shivering at the loss of his freedom.

 

“This contract is binding and legal," Chanyeol informed Sehun. "Signing your name has, at its very heart, made you our slave for the duration of this contract.”

 

"And with the beginning of your contract, I'm assigning punishment,” Luhan said. folding his arms. Sehun flinched, about to ask what he had done, but Luhan didn't give him the opportunity. “I'm assigning you twenty strikes to the feet for how you spoke to Baekhyun earlier. With the mandatory five, you are now at twenty-five." Sehun shrank and dropped his head, already feeling ashamed of himself. He already felt bad for saying the things he had earlier, but now he was getting a full punishment for it.

 

"Double the count," Baekhyun hissed, a frown sitting on his face. It was obvious he was still angry and hurt. But when he spoke, Sehun noticed a change on the contract. A bright red inky 50 showed up below his signed name.

 

"After 50, a new count starts," Chanyeol explains. "Never deliver more than fifty lashes at a time. Especially if we must travel the next day. He will take the remaining the next day, up to fifty until he has served all of them. As long as you use nothing bigger than a cane, lashes to the back, thighs and everywhere in between are also fine. No real whips will be used since they are debilitating and I have stated this punishment is not meant to maim. If you break skin during any punishments, tend to wounds immediately after finishing.”

 

“Sehun will take punishments anywhere we go,” Luhan informed everyone. “This means, if we go into town and he requires punishment, you don’t think twice about it. Teach him what is inappropriate and what is acceptable. That’s the only way he’ll learn.”

 

“And this goes on for a year?” Yixing asked.

 

“Yes” Chanyeol answered. “After that, he is free to do as he pleases again. But until then…” Chanyeol cleared his throat and took a turn in the conversation. “Do not treat him as a piece of trash every second of the day. Sehun is still our friend and we should still talk to him like one. It is only when he’s earned harsh treatment that he will get harsh treatment. Remember that.”

 

The others nodded and the conversation ended. Sehun mulled over the contract he had signed and thought about what was ahead of him. Though he thought he deserved it, Sehun wasn’t sure he could go back to being normal after a year of this. He wasn't even sure he could handle this whole thing. But he would try. He had spent too long trying to pass judgement on himself, now they took the control from him. Chanyeol and Luhan judged him, and they deemed this enough. When this was over, he could face Taeyeon’s memory again at last.

 

“Sehun, go prepare dinner,” Chanyeol said, waving him away with a gentle flick of the wrist. Sehun nodded and got up to do as told, not wanting to add to his already steep number of lashes.

 

Chanyeol gripped his wrist as he rose to his feet, causing Sehun to freeze. He looked down at the fire mage, feeling nervous. Chanyeol didn't strike him as a cruel person, but he worked for the Crown Prince. He had to be at least strict.

 

"Next time, and every time following, I want a verbal response," Chanyeol told him. "It doesn't have to be formal. It only has to be verbal. Got it?"

 

Sehun nodded again, but this time he added, "Yeah, I got it."

 

Chanyeol let go of his wrist and smiled. He turned back to the dying fire and saved it with a whirl of a hand. Sehun was still impressed with his control. Sehun's own control was still tentative and could use more practice. Sometimes it still caught him by surprise. Chanyeol always assured him he was doing well. Luhan had made a comment about wild magic always being wild. That made Sehun nervous. He didn't want to be out of control for his whole life.

 

Sehun took a few slabs of meat from their stockpile and brought them to the fire in their iron pan. He seasoned them with a few herbs they had found in the forest and set it all over the fire. Everyone else had dispersed from the fire after their discussion ended. Luhan disappeared into one of their tents for a while, presumably resting. Yixing followed him, still fuming as he thought about the contract. Baekhyun sat a way off from Sehun with the book Kyungsoo had given Sehun.

 

By the time dinner was ready, Sehun felt like he was starving. Sitting over the food made him so hungry, but he had to call everyone else to eat first. He cut up and set aside portions for everyone, but he almost forgot to leave his plate empty for the time being. This would take some getting used to.

 

He waited for everyone to have their fill before he made any move on the leftovers. The disappointment came to him when he realized how small his portion was. There was only enough to scrape a small plate out of their little pan, but nothing more. Still, Sehun took it and ate it on his own. When he finished eating, Sehun didn’t need to ask him to do the dishes. He brought everything to the river and cleaned it all out, being sure no scraps got left behind.

 

When he got back, he put everything away and cleaned up all their equipment. He even checked the tents to be sure they were stable. But as they sun was setting, Luhan walked up to him and took him by the arm, leading him to a clear space. The others followed, standing around him with sullen faces. Someone had grabbed a thick branch that had fallen from a tree and laid it there. Sehun eyed it with a curiosity.

 

“Lay down on your back here, ankles together over the branch,” Luhan ordered, point to the ground. Sehun did as told and laid down. Yixing took one end of a length of rope and fastened it around Sehun’s ankles, binding them tight to the branch. This already felt embarrassing and he shut his eyes tight to block out the situation.

 

"Fifty lashes today, Sehun," Chanyeol reminded him. "Since your offense was against Baekhyun, he will administer the blows." Sehun didn't open his eyes, a little scared. He heard someone undo their belt; he presumed it to be Baekhyun. Then two people lifted the branch, one on either side, bringing his feet up and exposing the soles

 

“Give him something to chew on,” he heard Luhan say to someone. A few moments later, his mouth was being opened with a prying grip on his jaw. Sehun opened his eyes in fright to see Yixing stuffing a large piece of thick cloth into his mouth.

 

“Put your hands under your back, Sehun.” Baekhyun’s voice came from beyond his current field of vision. Sehun did as asked, slipping his hands under his weight with a little shuffle. “Keep them there. If they move, we'll bind those, too.”

 

The first strike came quick and unexpected to the arch of his foot. The pain struck fast, stinging at first, and then the area almost felt like it was burning. Sehun could tolerate the first one, only letting out a groan at the pain. Someone started to count.

 

The next blow was harder to recover from. Sehun took a breath through his nose, but a pained groan still managed to escape his throat. The sound flew into the gag in his mouth, a little louder than he expected.

 

By stroke number five, Sehun was crying out into each whip of the belt. It came down on the sensitive arches of his feet and wrapped around his sensitive flesh. He shifted with discomfort, but the strip of leather came down again and Sehun screamed once more. It got so much worse as they continued. The person counting seemed to be going far too slow. It was almost maddening. The pain intensified while Sehun struggled to keep some kind of control of himself.

 

By lash twenty, he was mentally giving up. Everything seemed to hurt, stemming from his legs after every lashes to his feet. Every strike radiated through his body, and with it, all the power he thought he had over himself was fading. He could feel them all staring down at him while he dug his nails into the dirt below him. It was the only thing he could hold onto. 

 

His powers sensed his distress; trying to lash out. He gasped, eyes going wide in panic. Not that, too. He tried to hold it back, but he couldn't warn them that his control was fading. All he could do was challenge his control and let them continue.

 

By lash forty, he felt so embarrassed and so powerless to what was happening to him. He had tears running down his face and his screams were going unheard behind the gag. He wanted this punishment to be over so he could relax. He wouldn't speak like that to Baekhyun again. Never again.

 

After lash fifty, Sehun couldn’t stop crying even when he knew no more pain was coming. He had finished his punishment for day one and he slumped into the ground where he waited for them to free him. They lowered his legs back down, untying his feet first. Then the cloth was being removed from his mouth to allow him to speak again. But he sat there and the tremble in his body was so violent he couldn't bring himself to stand up.

 

“Get up,” Baekhyun ordered. Sehun didn’t move right away, still recovering from the daze his punishment had left him in. "Don't make me repeat myself, Sehun."

 

Whimpering and reluctant to follow orders, Sehun rolled over and pushed himself up. His feet ached something terrible and stung like nothing he had felt before, but he managed to do it.

 

“Get to bed," Luhan said, leaving no room for Sehun to argue. "You’ll be sharing a tent with me tonight.”

 

Sehun nodded and hobbled off. He felt bruised, but it was not pain that was unbearable. It still felt like it was all over his body. He thought for a few minutes that he might be hallucinating - that punishment had broken him - but he wasn't. He changed into his night clothing and claimed a bedroll. As soon as he laid down, he felt the throbbing in his feet. It would be gone by morning, but for now it was a reminder of things to come.

 

He heard the others go to bed before he even heard Luhan approach their tent. Sehun flinched a little when the ethereal man pulled back the tent flap and came in. Such a movement did not go unnoticed.

 

Luhan laid down next to Sehun, keeping his actions slow so he didn’t scare the aching boy. They stayed silent while Luhan changed and got comfortable. Sehun still hadn’t wiped the tears from his face since they had refused to stop coming yet.

 

“Hey,” Luhan breathed, calling Sehun’s attention. He sounded concerned. “Are you okay?"

 

It must have sounded like a silly question, because Sehun looked at Luhan with wide eyes.

 

“Do I look okay to you?” Sehun returned.

 

Luhan reached towards him, not surprised when Sehun flinched from his touch. “Are you mad at us?” he asked, continuing to reach forward anyway. He didn't stop until his hand was at Sehun's cheek, brushing away the tears.

 

Immediately, Sehun shook his head. He was not mad. He had invited this upon himself. “I’m not mad at you.”

 

“Then why are you avoiding my touch?”

 

Sehun bit his lip and tried to relax. “Because I’m wound tighter than a coil,” he answered, trying to be honest with himself. “I still expect to be hit again.”

 

Luhan narrowed his eyes. “This is what you wanted. Punishment, yes?”

 

“Yes,” Sehun answered, quick to confirm Luhan's words. “To rid me of my guilt.”

 

“And is it working?” Luhan asked.

 

“It’s too early to tell,” Sehun answered. But deep inside, he could already feel the knots of said guilt loosening. They were not ready to unravel, but it was a start. He had a year of servitude for it all to come undone.

 

Luhan hummed at that response and leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Sehun's forehead. Sehun curled up a little at the touch of lips, feeling like a child.

 

"Rest, Sehun," Luhan urged with a whisper. "You will need your strength for tomorrow."

 

Sehun knew Luhan was right, but it was difficult to let go of the tension in his body. When Luhan pulled away, Sehun stayed where he was. A moment later, Luhan was blowing out their lamp, leaving them in the darkness.

 

Sehun tried to go to sleep.

 

\-----

 

In the morning, Sehun's feet ached, but they did not hurt the same as they had the night before. They had stopped throbbing somewhere in the night, but pain remained when he stood on them. His walking on them was for the most part normal as he did the morning chores. No one asked this of him, but he figured it would put everyone in a good mood when they got up.

 

He cooked a simple breakfast and began to clean up their camp while it cooled. When it was ready, Sehun divided it into portions again for everyone and went to wake the others. Yixing was grumpy because it was early, but he only groused some and left his tent to the smell of food. Chanyeol woke with only a few small shakes of the shoulder, thanking Sehun for getting up early. Luhan was similar; rising quick with a friendly smile and a murmur of thanks.

 

Baekhyun was a little more hesitant to wake, but when he did, he fixed Sehun with a blank stare. A few different emotions passed through his eyes and for a second Sehun wasn't sure what to expect. Was Baekhyun going to start crying at the mere sight of him? Or was he going to hit him for waking him so early?

 

In the end, Baekhyun only got up without a word and went to sit by the fire to eat. It was a good start to the day.

 

This was not to say that the whole day was flawless. The others gave him no grace period to adjust to his new rules. Every little thing he did out of habit that contradicted his rules got a punishment. The first time he excused himself to go relieve his bladder, they rewarded him with five lashes. He forgot about not eating with everyone at lunch that day. Another five lashes. And everyone had tasks for him and rules of their own to lay down.

 

Luhan appeared to want to refine Sehun's etiquette. He set rules for how Sehun should eat and how he should speak under certain situations. He even taught him how to sit proper in the company of guests.

 

Yixing set rules on the things Sehun said. Like his first rule, he allowed no ill speaking of his family's wishes. He also allowed no ill speaking of himself. But he also wanted Sehun to walk tall and proud until he started to believe it. For now, all Sehun felt was embarrassment when he did so.

 

Baekhyun didn't set any additional rules, yet, but Sehun had a feeling they wouldn't be fun to obey when he did.

 

Chanyeol's rules were the most intense, and Sehun dreaded them.

 

"You are going to begin lessons on swordsmanship," Chanyeol said to him after lunch. "We're going to put that dagger and wooden sword to good use. Every day at our noon break, come to me."

 

By the time they got back on the road, Sehun didn't feel like he was capable of walking until nightfall. Yixing had healed up any bruising, but his muscles ached worse than usual. Chanyeol hadn't put him through form work alone. He had taught the forms, and then Chanyeol pulled him into a sparring session. Against a trained swordsman like Chanyeol, Sehun failed, as expected. He wasn't equipped to handle such skill. But Chanyeol praised his effort and that was at least a boon to Sehun.

 

That night, before he took punishment, Sehun told Luhan one of his fears from the prior night. How his powers had attempted rebellion against his control at the beginning of the pain. It had been difficult to hold it back.

 

When Sehun served punishment that night, Luhan pulled out a familiar little bracelet. It was the magical one Yifan had given him to control his powers. Sehun eyed it with a nervous stare but offered his wrist. As soon as the twine was around his wrist, he felt heavy discomfort, feeling alone without the wind. But they made punishment quick and they allowed him to remove it as soon as they finished.

 

This became how they did lashings from then on.

 

By the end of three days into his one year sentence, Sehun had racked up quite a few lashes. They were enough to keep his beatings full for seven days. That wasn't including the other punishments given to him. Luhan followed through on banning Sehun from cursing. Luhan gave him one warning when he cursed. The second curse resulted in a soapy mouth but no lashings. Sometimes all that punishment entailed were a few hours of sitting on his knees.

 

Every night for the next week was the same as the first except worse. All day they traveled and he broke rules he wasn’t yet used to. His feet ached from walking even before they whipped his feet with the belt. He had no shoes to protect his feet anymore and every stone in his path was a problem to avoid.

 

They did give him the essentials as promised. He ate and drank water, but often times he had to wait until someone offered it to him. He always felt tired from doing all the chores asked of him, but he tried not to complain. They didn't even ask him to do everything, only more than he used to.

 

They did still talk to him as friends would, laughing and having simple conversation. They even provided comfort on his bad days. They tended to any cuts and scratches he obtained from walking the roads barefoot. But Sehun knew his place at the end of the day. No matter how they tried to make him feel normal, he still submitted to his beatings under them at the end of the day. He had earned that place.

 

Despite the fact that they had rules, no one ignored the occasions when Sehun was unable to perform tasks. A few days into his sparring sessions with Chanyeol and Sehun's muscles seized up. He sat down and his entire leg locked up. Sehun wasn't going to say anything about it, but right after it happened, Luhan asked him to prepare food. Sehun had to ask for a minute while he massaged his leg. When asked what was wrong, Sehun admitted his troubles and Luhan excused the task.

 

Such occurrences did not happen often.

 

By the time they had made it to town, Sehun was finally following the rules without question. It was all beginning to become habit to respond to even tiny requests. But Sehun had not caught up on the backlog of lashings he had earned, yet, and walking into town made him nervous.

 

The town square was the place of choice for masters to hand down punishment for slaves. It provided a public eye and humiliation to the offender. It was a good way to ensure disobedience never happened again. Sehun feared the square and tried to beg for any means of reducing his sentence. Luhan seemed to relent, and Yixing as well, but Baekhyun was insistent that they make use of the square.

 

"Don't think twice," Baekhyun said, "remember?” He was repeating the words spoken to them when discussing the contract. Chanyeol responded with a stiff nod at that. There was hesitation in his eyes as well.

 

There was a whipping post as well as a stockade in Falita. Children were sometimes barred from the square if either had an occupant. Sehun had gone to town once when a woman was in the stockades and had been horrified by her appearance. There was a mess of rotten food around her and dripping from her hair. Around her neck sat a sign that labeled her an adulterer. She was even missing a front tooth where a brick had been thrown at her face. He imagined there would be a similar setup for example making in this town as well.

 

The group dismissed his fears, making the final decision, and Sehun despaired. He would be no doubt locked to a whipping post at the end of today and made to suffer the humiliation of it all. He was already having flashbacks on his whipping in Falita. The contract banned whips from use, but that didn't stop Sehun from thinking about it.

 

There was talk from Baekhyun of getting something a little sturdier to use for Sehun's beatings. It seemed Baekhyun was finally ready to create punishments of his own. He hadn't done much since the beginning of the contract, but it had been him who recommended a riding crop. He didn’t crack a smile at all when Sehun whined that he wasn’t a horse. Chanyeol thought it a good idea for something a little more permanent, but he was not made happier by the suggestion. Yixing and Luhan exchanged glances between each other. Yixing grew angrier by the day, and Luhan looked more and more worried all the time.

 

They got a crop from a tack shop before they left for the square. It was well before sunset and people were still walking to and fro across the square. Businesses were still advertising their wares when the group entered the square. Sehun panicked when he saw the whipping post and pillory but no stocks. He was not getting a foot whipping today. It was going to be much worse than that.

 

Sehun held back the sob bubbling up in his throat and Baekhyun looked back at him with no sympathy. Since this whole thing began, Baekhyun had watched all of Sehun's punishments. He watched every twitch of Sehun's muscles with a critical eye. When the opportunity presented itself, he used all his power to punish Sehun. He put all his anger, all his sadness, into every strike. Sehun felt it as the pain permeated through his body in those times.

 

He didn't expect Baekhyun to be nice about it. He had hoped, yes, but he did not expect it. Baekhyun had seemed to understand the situation Sehun had found himself in. It wasn't his fault and it was Taeyeon's decision to give up her life for Sehun. However, that didn't mean that, when presented with a way to make Sehun pay, Baekhyun was going to pass up on it. Grief and anger did strange things to people; even kind people. Sehun knew, and he prayed that Baekhyun would burn his anger with an emphatic passion so that it didn't last long.

 

Now, as they shackled him, shirtless, to the whipping post, adults cleared the area of children. Sehun braced himself for what was to come. He was already wearing the spelled bracelet and it only added to his anxiety. Most of his vision was of the post in front of him and he bent forward at an angle to adjust to the angle of the shackles. If he turned his head, he could see people stopping to stare at him on both sides. He wasn't given anything to muffle his screams this time, and Baekhyun was the one holding the crop.

 

When the first lash fell on his back, Sehun groaned and his back flared with heat from the impact. It only got worse from there and Sehun couldn't hold his screams in as Baekhyun had no mercy on him. Lashes rained down on his back, but he deserved this humiliation. This was within the lines of the contract. This was part of his sentence. He deserved every laugh that the people around him tossed his way. He deserved every snide remark about being obedient and knowing his place.

 

He knew his place. He knew exactly what he was and where he belonged. So, when it was over, all fifty lashes served and back throbbing, he still didn't breathe easy. He didn't ask to have his hands untied. He didn't say a word. Instead, he waited, silent as the grave, trembling, tears falling down his cheeks.

 

Then he felt a person at his back, pulling his head back by his hair. Sehun winced.

 

"I don't think you've had enough," Baekhyun spat into his ear. It was a deadly whisper and Sehun shivered in fear. "You're going to spend some time in the pillory to top it off. Then I might be satisfied."

 

He undid the shackles that kept Sehun's wrists to the whipping post and pulled him over to the open pillory.

 

"Baekhyun!" Chanyeol hissed in warning. "Don't you think that's enough?"

 

"No," Baekhyun answered, shoving Sehun's head down onto the wood frame. "I don't think it is." Then he placed Sehun's wrists down on the frame as well and he closed the constraining device. Sehun felt trapped and afraid, but he tried not to struggle. All he did was adjust his neck against the wood and twist his wrists to get as comfortable as the position allowed.

 

"He's taken his punishment," Yixing argued. "It should be over."

 

Baekhyun only stepped in front of Sehun's line of sight after locking the device so he couldn't get out. He handed the key to a peacekeeping guard that stood to the side. Then he looked at everyone with crossed arms.

 

"I thought his contract stated I could lengthen or shorten his punishments as I see fit?" Baekhyun commented. "And I'm doing just that. I don't think a whipping is enough. I never have. If he wants me to forgive him in a year, he will do anything I tell him to." Then he turned back to Sehun with a hard stare. "In two hours, someone will come get you. Take it all in." The he spat at Sehun's feet and made a prompt turn on his heels to stalk off in the direction of their inn. Sehun's eyes went wide as he stared after Baekhyun in disbelief. Then he looked at the others, all in equal amounts of shock.

 

It took a moment before Chanyeol took a few quick steps forward to speak with the guard. He produced Sehun's contract to prove his current ownership status. Once he had the guard's attention, Sehun heard Chanyeol ask for a favor.

 

Behind him, the crowd was shuffling around, some with excited whispers. Sehun heard only a few of Chanyeol's words, his panic rising. The only ones he heard were something about "the crowd" and "stones" and "free him". He didn't need to hear the full request to know Chanyeol was trying to protect him from a worst-case scenario.

 

Chanyeol didn't even have the chance to get back before someone tossed the first tomato. Sehun hadn't been expecting it right then, so he hadn't ducked his head to avoid the worst of the impact. It hit his cheek, right below his eye. It exploded into a mess of juice and seeds that smelled horrid and it hurt.

 

A laugh and a cheer came up from the crowd at the success of the shot. Sehun was still in shock when a clod of mud came at him from the other side. Sehun caught a glimpse of Luhan in the crowd. He had his hands to his mouth in horror and he looked like he was trying not to cry. That was all Sehun could see right before someone else threw something foul smelling at him.

 

Somewhere around the fifth strike, Sehun lost track of Luhan in the crowd. He hadn't seen Yixing since right after Baekhyun locked him in. Chanyeol had gotten sucked up by the crowd, too. Sehun felt his panic get worse as this went on. His powers were gone. He was alone. He was stuck. People jeered at and mocked him from all directions. The items they pelted at him came down faster in the first few minutes. Sehun could do nothing but drop his head and try to tolerate it.

 

Two hours. Two hours. How was he going to tolerate this for two hours?

 

\-----

 

It was dark by the time his two hours were up. The crowd had deserted the square a short while ago, but not before leaving him a mess of spoiled food and mud. He shivered as a breath of lifeless, cold wind passed by him. He still shook with fear where he stood, expecting another thing to come at him through the night. 

 

The guard was silent beside him. Sehun didn't dare make conversation. He wasn't even sure if he could still speak. All he seemed capable of doing was staring at the ground, eyes dull with helplessness.

 

That was how Luhan found him when he came to release Sehun from the pillory. He produced the contract again for the guard to get the key back. But when the latch opened and Luhan opened the pillory, Sehun didn't move. Luhan had to grip his shoulders and help him into a proper standing position.

 

"Sehun?" Luhan said, a quiet sound in the night. Sehun didn't respond, having not heard him. He was too busy thinking about the woman back in Falita. She looked so defeated back then; her head hung low and filthy with shame and animal excrement.

 

Sehun felt defeated, too.

 

Luhan stopped waiting for a response after a few moments. Sehun looked dazed and confused. His head had likely gone off to someplace safe, protecting him from the trauma of the past two hours. The best thing to do now was get Sehun a bath and some rest.

 

Luhan walked Sehun back to the inn with slow, careful steps. He kept a hand on Sehun's waist even though the boy seemed to have no problem walking. But his movements were jerky and stiff, unnatural compared to his usual smooth sway.

 

By the time they got back to the inn, Sehun still wasn't responding to verbal stimuli. His mouth remained closed and his eyes remained on the floor no matter what Luhan said. He pulled Sehun into the room where they were staying with a sigh.

 

Everyone looked up when they entered. Baekhyun gave his appearance a snort and returned to his book. However, Chanyeol and Yixing stared at him with deep frowns of worry on their lips. They didn't take their eyes off him as Luhan ushered Sehun into the bathroom.

 

"I'll take care of him," Luhan assured them. Then he closed the door behind the two of them and turned back to Sehun. "Can you take off those pants?"

 

No response.

 

Luhan sighed and reached forward to pull Sehun's pants down himself. But as soon as he started doing so, Sehun came to life. The problem was that so did Sehun's fear.

 

All Sehun registered was hands on him, far too close to his lower regions. His panic didn't allow him to register who it was or where he was or why. All he knew was that someone was trying to touch him and he couldn't let someone do that to him again.

 

"No!" he screamed, shoving Luhan's hands away from him. "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!"

 

The sudden flurry of activity startled Luhan into letting go, but he was soon back at Sehun's side.

 

"Sehun, calm down," he urged, voice only loud enough for the other to hear him over his shouting. But the panic was louder.

 

Luhan reached for Sehun again, but this proved to be a mistake. Sehun screamed and backed away in terror. He knocked into the corner of the vanity, tripping and falling on his butt. But he didn't stop moving away from Luhan. He scooted himself back as fast as he could until he ran into a wall.

 

He felt trapped again. He couldn't escape. Why weren't his powers coming to him? What was wrong with him? He started crying again, so scared he couldn't help himself. Luhan was frightened, too. He approached Sehun with outstretched palms, worried.

 

"Sehun..."

 

"Don't touch me!" Sehun cried again. Then his words changed. "Don't hurt me! Please, don't hurt me!"

 

That's when Luhan seemed to realize what that night had done to Sehun. How afraid had he been when he was at the pillory by himself? What had Baekhyun's anger done to him? How could Baekhyun have taken it this far?

 

Now, Luhan didn't shy away from Sehun's frantic screaming, but he changed his approach. Luhan lowered himself to the floor so he didn't appear so huge in Sehun's mind. He didn't reach out searching hands anymore, choosing to place them on the floor in front of him instead. He crawled towards Sehun, making sure his movements were slow.

 

"Sehun," Luhan tried again. "I'm not going to hurt you. It's me; Luhan."

 

Sehun shut his eyes, not believing his ears for a few moments. His panic was shifting his sight around him and the person in front of him didn't look like Luhan. It wasn't Luhan at all. And then there were the noises outside this room. It sounded like angry voices. They were arguing, but Sehun couldn't concentrate long enough to figure out what it was about. He couldn't even concentrate on the person in front of him.

 

Then he heard whistling. A chirping kind of whistle that reminded Sehun of birds. Sehun finally looked up from the floor to the person in front of him. To his surprise, it indeed was Luhan who sat before him, breaking through Sehun's panic. He whistled a few more chirping noises, trying to put to use what Sehun had taught him about bird calls.

 

"See?" Luhan breathed after a moment. "It's me. You don't have to be afraid." Then he continued with his whistling, letting it lull Sehun into a calm place.

 

For the first time since leaving the pillory, Sehun registered where he was. He was at the inn. He was in the bathroom. He was on the floor. Luhan was with him, trying to bring him back to reality with those poor attempts at bird calls.

 

And it was working.

 

"You're doing it wrong..." Sehun whispered, voice going to his chest as he lowered his head again. He didn't see it, but Luhan smiled in relief.

 

"Am I?" he asked, scooting a little closer to sit next to Sehun against the wall. "What am I doing wrong?"

 

They spent the next ten minutes with Sehun demonstrating the easy calls for him again. Luhan inched closer as he noticed Sehun return to his normal self. Then Sehun moved on to the more difficult calls involving the fingers as aid. But as soon as Luhan tried to imitate him, he drooled all over his fingers.

 

Sehun laughed a little too hard while Luhan was quick to wipe his fingers off on his clothing with a pout.

 

"It's not fair!" Luhan whined, tossing a pout in Sehun's direction.

 

"You have to practice," Sehun reminded him. "Like I did." At that comment, Sehun got lost in his own thoughts again. He thought of Taeyeon again and her mastery of bird calls. He was still not convinced he would ever be as good as her, but he could try. Luhan nudged him with a gentle shoulder to bring him out of his thoughts.

 

"Hey, stay right here for a while," Luhan whispered, threading their fingers together. The flinch from Sehun was automatic. He had been flinching for two hours and he still wasn't completely out of the defense head space. Luhan didn't seem to mind it. "We can practice a little more," he suggested. "You can teach me more things while I give you a bath? Wash this night off of you..."

 

Sehun hesitated, thinking back to what he had thought Luhan was doing when he woke from his mind earlier. Now it made more sense. Luhan had been undressing him for a bath. He didn't give an answer to Luhan right away. But when he finally answered, he nodded his head and made to remove his pants.

 

A hand came to his chin to turn his head. Sehun found himself eye to eye with Luhan. He fixed Sehun with soft gaze and opened his mouth. "What was Chanyeol's rule, again?" he asked. Sehun sank into that quiet power of Luhan's.

 

"Verbal responses," Sehun replied, almost drunk with submission.

 

"Correct," Luhan praised. "Now let's try again: You can teach me more things while I give you a bath?"

 

"Y-yeah..." Sehun answered, feeling some of his normal behaviors returning to him. "Sounds nice..."

 

Luhan released him and Sehun blinked while Luhan went to run the water. Sehun went back to removing his pants. Even such an act helped him feel cleaner already. They would need a heavy washing before he put them on again.

 

When he sank down into the warm waters, he felt the rest of his tension and rigidity melt away. He began to relax and his breath came a little easier into his chest. What made it even more relaxing was how gentle and careful Luhan's touch was. Everywhere his hands roamed, they minded his bruises and tended to sore muscles.

 

Luhan rid Sehun's skin of not only dirt but any debris or juice left from the rotten foods. He removed bits from Sehun's hair as well, helping him to clean up. All the while, they communicated in butchered bird calls. Sometimes, Sehun would respond with simple whistles. Other times, he would answer with nightingale calls.

 

At some point, Luhan stopped whistling back. Sehun kept trying to find the correct sounds for a nightingale and had yet to let it go. Luhan was content to watch him with a small, silly smile on his face until the end of Sehun's back.

 

Sehun climbed out, feeling much more human now than he had been a while ago. Luhan was drying Sehun off with a towel when Sehun heard him speak again.

 

"Do you want to sleep alone tonight?" he asked. "Or would you like someone to hold you? I can sleep on the floor with you."

 

Sehun didn't answer only because he didn't know the answer when he left the bathroom. However, by the time he got into his night clothes and was making to lay down, he took Luhan's sleeve in his fingers.

 

"Please?" Sehun asked, embarrassed to elaborate. And for this night only, Luhan would let it slide. He laid down with Sehun, wrapping him up in his arms to make him feel safe. Sehun breathed a heavy sigh of contentment as he buried his head in Luhan's chest.

 

Luhan brushed his hair with slow, careful fingers until he fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

“You went too far last night.”

 

That was the first thing Sehun heard when he drifted into consciousness on the wooden floor. Luhan had separated himself since last night, but he was not far away. There was still a hand carding through his hair, making him feel safe.

 

“I gave him what he wanted.”

 

“We’re not meant to abuse this power, Baekhyun.”

 

That was Luhan speaking. Why did he sound so upset?

 

“You set the rules,” Baekhyun shot back. “I played by them.”

 

“No, you’re marching to your own war drum,” Luhan hissed, hand stilling in Sehun's hair.

 

Baekhyun scoffed. “Maybe you shouldn’t have let me have so much power over his sentence. I had every right to do what I did.”

 

“I thought you were a better person than this,” Luhan replied. “Chanyeol and I both trusted you.”

 

“My mother is dead because of him,” Baekhyun growled. "I said it last night and I'll say it again. If he wants my forgiveness, he's going to earn his life with every minute of this contract."

 

“She died protecting his rights and yours," Luhan told him. "That’s why she never brought you with her when she traveled. It was dangerous for you because of your magic.”

 

“What would you know about why she left me alone?” Baekhyun barked. “I never saw her and when I did I got tiny tastes of love that I’ll never get again because he took her away from me. Let me show him what being loveless feels like. That’s the punishment he wants anyway. He actually believes he is worth nothing.”

 

“But he is,” Luhan said, his voice rising to compete with Baekhyun’s. “He is worth more than he realizes, and he deserve to feel love. Once this is all over, he’ll understand that. I’m going to make him understand that.”

 

Sehun couldn’t control the loud yawn that escaped his mouth. He turned his head to the other side, dislodging the still hand. He tried not to roll his body much because if he rolled onto his back, he knew it would flare.

 

“Sehun?”

 

Sehun groaned as he stood and started to undress from his sleep clothes. He felt stiff and his head was still foggy from last night, but he was much better. He would be better still when they left this town. Then he wouldn't have to question the people he walked by and their intentions.

 

“I’ll go find breakfast,” Sehun mumbled, sleep still catching his speech. Neither Baekhyun or Luhan said anything as he left the room. He felt vulnerable leaving the safety of the room. Not having any shoes didn’t help that notion. Everyone else had shoes in this town, but Sehun was the only one not allowed them. It made him stand out in a way he didn't like. But that was not his decision.

 

He went down the stairs, feeling weak and dizzy until a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders. Sehun froze at the touch, something in him beginning to panic. But all the hands did was help stabilized him before they let go. His heartbeat was wild in his chest for a minute before he turned and realized it was Chanyeol. He sighed in relief and calmed himself with a few deep breaths.

 

“Good morning,” Chanyeol said to the dazed boy. He even gave him an affectionate ruffle of the hair. Then he inspected Sehun's face as if he were looking for something. He seemed preoccupied by something on Sehun's cheek. He even brushed a finger over it. Sehun found the flesh tender and he winced under the touch but did not pull away. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Tired…” Sehun answered. “And sore, but I think I’m okay. I came down to get breakfast for everyone.”

 

“We have it taken care of,” Yixing said as he approached the two of them. He had a large wooden tray filled with a meal for each of them. Sehun reached for it as he approached, but Yixing kept it away from him. “You had a harder day yesterday than it should have been. Let me take care of this?”

 

“But why?” Sehun asked. “It’s my job for the next year.”

 

“It’s your job to do as we say,” Chanyeol reminded him. “And we’re telling you, it’s okay.”

 

Sehun hesitated, but he finally gave in and lowered his hands. Chanyeol was right, he needed to obey them, not challenge them. It didn't matter in what direction he was challenging them. He lowered his head and he heard a chuckle behind him. It made him stiffen with slight anxiety.

 

“Finally got that little slave boy under control, good sirs?” a man called. Chanyeol and Yixing turned to give him a bored look. “It was fun watching him get put in his place last night."

 

"I called it too much," Chanyeol hummed, placing a careful hand on Sehun's back. He was still aware of the welts from Sehun's lashing and didn't want to irritate them. "The master that assigned the punishment didn't consult us."

 

"He seemed to believe he deserved it," the man wheezed. Then he coughed something wet and wiped his mouth with a dirty napkin. Sehun wanted to get away from him but stayed still.

 

"He may believe so," Yixing hummed, "but we didn't. Sehun will be getting a reward from us for taking it without complaint." Sehun almost didn't catch that, but he turned to look at Yixing in confusion.

 

"I will?" he asked, feeling a little flushed. A reward was almost the same as praise, and he had done well to earn one. He was happy he had done something right after fifteen days of doing nothing but wrong.

 

Chanyeol nodded, smiling at Sehun. "A reduction in your current lash count and three chances to say no to tasks today. Choose well. They expire at the end of the day."

 

The smile Sehun gave them was brighter than they had seen in weeks. "Got it!" he chirped. Yixing smiled back as well and reached out a glowing hand to Sehun's cheek. He brushed over the same spot as Chanyeol had earlier. This time, Sehun felt warmth against his cheek and the tenderness was gone.

 

"He’s a beauty," the stranger added. He seemed to take a liking to Sehun's unblemished face. Sehun's smile dimmed a little at the comment. He stiffened further when the man took a few steps closer. He smelled like feces up close. Sehun had to bite down his gag reflex. Then the man gripped his jaw and made him lift his head. "How does he look with a dick in his mouth?”

 

Yixing smacked the man's hand away and placed himself between him and Sehun. "That's-"

 

"We would appreciate it if you didn't touch him," Chanyeol interrupted. He remained respectful but Sehun could hear the irritation in his tone.

 

"I'm sorry," the man said, holding his hands up in defeat. "I only wanted to have some time with him. Is his time not for sale?"

 

Chanyeol's jaw locked and he looked at Sehun. "Don't worry about this counting towards your three. I'll give you this choice for free. Do you want to go with this man for a while? Be honest."

 

Sehun looked down at Chanyeol's feet, biting his lip. He didn't want to go with the man. He got a feeling from him that he didn't like and besides that, he didn't look like he thought Sehun was worth much. He probably thought he would be a cheap fuck, but Sehun knew what those services were worth now.

 

"I don't want to go," Sehun whispered to Chanyeol.

 

“Then tell him,” came Chanyeol’s immediate response. “Be polite.”

 

So Sehun turned back and bowed to the man with the restraint Luhan had been teaching him since day one. “I’m sorry, sir. I do not wish to come with you.” Then he straightened up his posture and tried to smile. The expression he found on the man's face was sour. It frightened Sehun a little.

 

"Your bitch didn't learn anything at all last night after all," the man grunted, spitting at Sehun's feet. "Slaves don't get to choose who fucks them."

 

Sehun's lip trembled, but Chanyeol stepped in again. "This one gets to choose when we allow him to choose. And he has chosen. He was respectful. Now be respectful in return and accept his choice like a decent human being."

 

With that, the three of them were gone, leaving the bitter man behind. Yixing's hands were full, but Chanyeol kept a protective arm around Sehun's shoulders. Sehun appreciated that very much.

 

"Don't think about him too much, Sehun," Yixing said from behind them. "People like him don't respect anyone."

 

"I hate this place," Sehun told him, voice soft.

 

"We'll be leaving soon," Chanyeol promised. "Hang in there a little longer."

 

Upon arriving at the door, Yixing handed the tray to Sehun to ensure no complaints when they walked in. It seemed everyone was in agreement except Baekhyun about what Sehun should do today. Sehun took the tray with a grateful smile and they opened the door to their room.

 

Upon walking in, Baekhyun looked frustrated and Luhan still looked angry. It didn't appear much had changed since leaving the room. Baekhyun hadn't moved from his spot on the bed, but he looked more contemplative. Something Luhan had said while he was gone may have resonated with Baekhyun on some part.

 

They all sat down and Sehun passed out their food, which most of them took to their beds. Sehun sat on the floor with his bowl sitting in front of him, waiting for everyone else to finish eating. He was still in a daze from last night, like he had been the morning after he had received his first foot lashing.

 

“You can eat, Sehun.”

 

Sehun’s head shot up in surprise, because that had been Baekhyun who spoke and he had said it was okay to break a rule. He looked around to be sure no one would dispute the allowance. No one did. So Sehun picked up his bowl and began to eat, feeling a little warmth inside of him. Whatever this was, Baekhyun's change between last night and now was a relief. He had been ready to walk on eggshells for the rest of the day around Baekhyun. Now he didn't feel he needed to be quite so cautious.

 

They got back on the road after eating their breakfast. Chanyeol had promised to leave the town soon to ease his discomfort. They stopped at midday and Sehun didn't want to go through his lessons with Chanyeol today. He wanted one day where he could enjoy their break.

 

"Can I use one of my refusals for this?" he asked Chanyeol. The fire mage gave him a little smile and nodded.

 

"You have two more to use," Chanyeol reminded him. "This was a good choice for today."

 

Sehun sighed in relief and went to lay down for a little bit in the sun. He got comfortable in the grass and closed his eyes for a few moments. He's pretty sure he fell asleep for a short while, because when he opened his eyes again, he was laying in someone's lap.

 

"You awake?" Luhan asked, brushing the hair from Sehun's forehead.

 

Sehun hummed his response and didn't move.

 

"Did you not get enough sleep last night?" he questioned.

 

"I slept," Sehun answered. "But it wasn't restful."

 

"Are you feeling better now?" Luhan asked, moving on to carding his fingers through Sehun's hair again. Sehun noted that he did that a lot. He didn't mind it.

 

"Better," Sehun answered. "I'm sorry I worried you."

 

"Don't be," Luhan muttered. "Last night wasn't fair to you."

 

At the mention of it, Sehun's thoughts drifted to last night. Two hours had felt like an eternity. Scared and alone for two hours. But when he thinks about it, he doesn't remember most of it. He remembers the initial shock most of all, but then the rest is like a dream or a nightmare. He woke up to Luhan's whistling.

 

"How bad did I look?" he asked. It was the morbid curiosity in him that wanted to know. "Was Baekhyun satisfied?"

 

The look Luhan gave him was of wide-eyed shock. Sehun wasn't sure he was going to give him an answer. Sehun settled back into Luhan's lap and sighed, closing his eyes.

 

"You looked horrible," Luhan finally answered. "You were filthy. Rotten food was all over you. Mud. Animal excrement. It was in your hair. It was on your face. I cried when I had to leave you there, and I had to try not to cry when I went to get you."

 

"Why?" Sehun asked. "Because I was dirty?"

 

Luhan shook his head, his lips trembling. "Because I care about you so much, and I'm horrified that an entire town thought it was fun to do that to you. I could hear the laughing from the inn. I wanted to scream. But not everyone can see in you what I see."

 

"And what do you see in me?" Sehun asked.

 

Luhan gave him a little watery smile. "I see someone who cares for others in his own unique way. I see a humble person. I see someone brave. You're a strong person, no matter what anyone else says." Then he paused and added, smiling a little with a bit more intent to tease. "But you're also young and stupid and you're still learning to be a better person."

 

"And you're mean," Sehun whined, sitting up a little too fast. His head spun a little, but he launched himself at Luhan, knocking him to the ground. "I'll show you young and stupid!" Then he attacked Luhan with ferocious tickles.

 

Luhan's laughter came bubbling out of him as he tried to squirm away from Sehun's hands. He batted at Sehun to get him off of him, but Sehun refused to relent, having too much fun.

 

"Take it back!" Sehun shouted over Luhan's uncontrolled laughing. "I'm not stupid! Say it and I'll stop!"

 

"Fine!" Luhan blurted between laughs. "Fine! I'll say it!" He was probably hoping Sehun would let up, but Sehun refused until he heard the words. "Not stupid! You're not stupid!" Luhan finally gasped.

 

Like magic, the tickling stopped and Luhan relaxed against the ground. He huffed and puffed a few times to get the air back into his lungs. Above him, Sehun could only smile with his victory. But then Luhan looked straight back at him and he felt something change between them.

 

Sehun noted his posture and realized he had caged Luhan under him. Luhan didn't seem to mind it. He stayed where he was and allowed himself time to stare at Luhan. But then he realized Luhan was moving closer. Or was that Sehun? Or was it both of them?

 

"Hey guys! It's time to get moving!"

 

Those words woke Sehun up from his dreamlike haze. His eyes widened and he pulled back, breaking the spell he seemed to be under. Luhan didn't say anything as Sehun pulled away. Sehun did wonder, however, if the disappointment in Luhan's eyes was a trick of the light or something real.

 

He was too afraid to ask.

 

\---

 

The next few days were better. As promised, they slashed his remaining lashes down to a little less than half of what they were. Instead of having more than four full days to look forward to, Sehun had two days and some change. The return of the foot whippings was welcome by comparison to the blows to the back. He was grateful for the lack of access to a post and pillory; even if it meant civilization was far off. But accepting foot lashings was no easier than it usually was. The whole point was to make it hurt and hurt enough so he had incentive to never do what he did again. He took on his last fifteen lashes the next day and he was clear of all punishments for the time being. It was a relief.

 

That’s not to say that he didn't forget himself on some occasions while they are having fun on the road. There was no doubt he has a steady stream of lashes that came his way. But after twenty days and heading to the one month mark, he breaks fewer rules. Baekhyun was much kinder days after the incident, but there were days he could tell Baekhyun was in a foul mood. Sehun tried to stay out of his way on those days.

 

Sehun still had hard days, too, and today was one of them. After traveling all day, weeks after the pillory incident, Sehun felt frustrated. He wasn't looking forward to the thirty-five strokes waiting for him when they made camp. He was having a hard time keeping himself warm, too. As long as he kept moving, he was okay, but it was still hard to go through early winter with no cloak or shoes. Snow hadn’t begun to fall yet, and it wasn't scheduled to start for a while yet. So, he was pretty sure he couldn’t make a case for getting his things back yet. But as they headed into higher elevations, he wondered if it would come sooner than expected.

 

They were all tired of his whining by the time they made their midday stop. He hadn't yet had a rule made regarding whining, but Baekhyun in particular had had enough. Sehun was throwing down his things and Baekhyun came up behind him. He gripped the back of Sehun's neck with a hot hand, causing Sehun to yelp and bend to get away from the touch. But Baekhyun continued to press him down until Sehun was kneeling on the ground.

 

"Enough," Baekhyun growled. "Cut the attitude and the whining, you little brat." The heat on the back of Sehun's neck intensified and Sehun whimpered.

 

"I'm sorry..." Sehun uttered when Baekhyun pressed him further down. "I'm sorry."

 

Baekhyun didn't release him right away, but when he did, the heat didn't leave his skin. He took a breath as Baekhyun stalked away. Sehun stayed where he was, kneeling on the ground in surprise. Then he pressed his hand to the back of his neck and winced. There were no blisters, but it definitely stung.

 

"Sunburn," Yixing said from a few feet away. "You deserved that one."

 

Judging by the way Chanyeol didn't go easy one him during practice, he thought so, too.

 

Sehun spent a good portion of the rest of the day with his mouth closed. The sunburn stung and Baekhyun refused to let Yixing heal it until they made camp that night. And it was during the healing that Chanyeol spoke up with an announcement.

 

“I have to go for a while,” Chanyeol said. “It’s getting harder to communicate with the prince out here, so I need to take a detour.” Sehun doesn’t know why he noticed Baekhyun’s face fall, but he did. Baekhyun had been close to Chanyeol ever since the forming of Sehun’s contract. It was likely because Chanyeol had been the one to find Baekhyun and save him from his assailants. Baekhyun had seen Chanyeol as some kind of hero. But Baekhyun had of course liked Chanyeol before that. It was obvious to everyone except Chanyeol. He was always the most hurt when Chanyeol disapproved of his choices or his thoughts. It was something Sehun picked up on because they were once close.

 

“Can I come with you?” Baekhyun asked, pleading. Chanyeol gave him a fond smile and shook his head. He gave Baekhyun’s fluffy hair an affectionate pat

 

“You stay with the group,” he insisted. “I’ll be back before you know it.” He even tapped Baekhyun’s nose with a gentle finger. Sehun pulled away from Yixing to pack up Chanyeol’s things for him, but Chanyeol grabbing his arm. “Behave while I’m gone,” Chanyeol told Sehun. “I don’t want to come back and find that you have another week of foot beatings.”

 

“I won’t,” Sehun promised. In reality, he knew that was something he couldn’t promise. It would be up to how picky everyone was on a particular day. Sehun had a feeling Baekhyun wasn't going to be in the greatest mood while Chanyeol was away.

 

“I’d suggest you find a city,” Chanyeol said to the group. “All of you should work a little. We’re getting close to the mountains and that’s where the Moon Witch’s domain is. But once we start climbing, food will be harder to find and we’ll all be susceptible to getting sick. Stock up on dry foods and medicine again.”

 

“How long will you be gone?” Yixing asked.

 

“Three weeks, at most,” Chanyeol answered. Sehun watched Baekhyun deflate even more. “If I make good time and leave today, I should be back in about two.”

 

Sehun had tried to sneak away to gather Chanyeol's things again but changed course. Instead, he pulled out a map from their belongings and made a guess as to where exactly they were. They hadn’t stopped in any cities lately because there weren’t many this far west. Much further and they would meet the sea. But the city that they had passed through earlier in the month after the incident was easy to find. Sehun used that as a guide.

 

“There’s a town called Rioda a few days travel from here,” Sehun mentioned. “Perhaps we should go there?”

 

“Thank you, Sehun,” Chanyeol hummed. “Yes, Rioda is a nice city. It's big and there are lots of friendly people. They have a large market there, too. You might even find a gift for the Moon Witch there.” Then Chanyeol held out his hand to Sehun. “Give me the crop,” he instructed. “I’ll take care of your punishment before I leave.”

 

Sehun flinched, but he obeyed and got the crop out. Punishment was routine now and someone had already picked out a sturdy branch. He went to lie down with his feet over the branch and put on the bracelet while he waited. By the time they tied his feet to the branch and lifted it up, he was already anxious.

 

As they exposed the bottoms of his feet to Chanyeol, Sehun took a breath and tried to brace himself for this. It never got easier, even after repeated beatings. The pain never got easier to take. If anything, he felt they almost got worse over time. He stuffed his hands under his weight as usual. They stayed there, palms down, digging into the cold earth in anticipation. Yixing stuffed a thick piece of cloth into his mouth and the foot lashings began.

 

Sehun thinks he prefers Chanyeol’s beatings to everyone else’s. Chanyeol was never ruthless with his beatings, but he was firm. If Sehun had earned those lashes, Chanyeol was going to deliver.

 

He preferred Yixing second. He was at least consistent with his strikes. The others might vary the strength of their strokes to increase punishment for a bad day, but not Yixing. Yixing kept everything exactly the same. If he started powerful, Sehun knew to hunker down and prepare for the ones to follow. If he was taking a more of the slap on the wrist approach, Sehun could afford to relax a tiny bit.

 

Luhan was soft during punishment, and sometimes, Sehun considered his whippings not enough. Luhan had been the one to create this contract and conditions, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. In fact, he was the one who had the hardest time fulfilling his duties as Sehun’s master. He gave orders sometimes and he ensured Sehun followed the rules, but that was about it. Punishing Sehun had not come easy to him and he hesitated sometime when he assigned lashes.

 

Though rarely given, Baekhyun’s punishments were the worst, to handle. Sehun hated when Baekhyun delivered punishments. After what happened at the square, Chanyeol tried to keep the crop out of Baekhyun’s hands as much as possible. But sometimes, Sehun needed extra reminding of his place. Baekhyun’s punishments were always memorable and so far compelled him to improve at a rapid rate. Usually they would come if he broke a comfort rule.

 

The first time Sehun slept through the chill of winter, he took an extra blanket without asking. Chanyeol had taken it from him and Sehun had complained. So, Baekhyun made a punishment out of it and confiscated Sehun's bedroll, too. Frustrated and unable to get sleep on the rocky ground, Sehun didn’t get up in the morning to make breakfast. That was the first time after the incident that Sehun took a beating from Baekhyun. He didn’t get his bedroll back for a week. Sehun never bothered to ask for an additional blanket after that.

 

The second time Baekhyun had to remind him of his place was worse. Sehun had forgotten to ask for permission to empty his bowels. He forgot to ask for this right all day. No one reminded him. They tallied up lashes for him every time he disappeared into the bushes for a few minutes. That night he served those lashes and Baekhyun gave him a task for the next day. Anytime he needed to urinate or defecate, Sehun was to report straight to him. What made it worse was that Baekhyun followed him into the woods to watch him. Later in the day, he moved on to order Sehun to hold it as the day drew to a close. He made Sehun wait even until after he had taken his lashings for the day. Then he wouldn't untie Sehun's feet until he peed himself in front of everyone. That day Sehun learned privacy really was the privilege they said it was. He never forgot to ask to go relieve himself again.

 

This time, when Chanyeol lowered the crop and Sehun’s screaming died, they untied him and it was over. He got up on his sore feet and looked rightfully scolded and teary eyed. Chanyeol came over and gave him a hug to comfort him. It was an apology that Sehun was learning to expect from certain people. Chanyeol had a good heart and it was hard to miss it.

 

“Be good,” he repeated to Sehun. “You’re doing well so far.”

 

Sehun nodded and promised to try, hugged Chanyeol back. Thinking he was sneaky, he used Chanyeol’s cloak to wipe his tears away. If Chanyeol noticed, he didn't say anything.

 

“Do you feel less guilty?” the mage asked.

 

Sehun nodded again. "Yeah..." As much as he hated the pain and the humiliation he endured on an almost daily basis, it had done wonders for his guilt. It had also humbled him in ways he didn’t realize he needed to be. He wasn’t as stubborn as he used to be and he listened when others told him to. He had grown quiet and passive even when he had things to say. He grew fond of the things that were still his, and that wasn’t much. Sehun had changed from the raging teenager he once was. He was not perfect, but he had learned to control himself in ways he didn’t think he was capable of.

 

“Good,” Chanyeol said, ruffling Sehun’s hair as he had done to Baekhyun a few moments prior. Then he smiled softly down at Sehun. “Remember why they did everything?” he asked.

 

Sehun nodded. “Because they loved me,” he answered.

 

Chanyeol nodded. “That’s right,” he hummed. "You're saying it. Now you have to feel it in here." He tapped the space over Sehun's heart with a gentle finger and smiled. “Talk to Baekhyun about practicing with your sunlight ability. Ask him about focusing your energy on one spot, too.” Then he winked and asked for his things.

 

Sehun didn't know what that was all about, but he was quick to hand Chanyeol’s things over to him. He even helped Chanyeol put on his pack and made sure he had everything he would need.

 

“I’ll be back soon,” Chanyeol said to the group again. “I’ll send a bird when I’m getting close.”

 

“Travel safe,” Baekhyun said, dejected but well meaning. Chanyeol came over and pressed a chaste kiss to Baekhyun’s forehead.

 

“You as well.”

 

Then he was turning off down the road as the sun sank below the horizon. Chanyeol only stopped at night because the others needed it. But a mage as powerful as him didn’t need to stop at night unless he needed the rest. With what Sehun knew of Chanyeol's loyalty, he knew Chanyeol would go on for the whole night to reach his prince.

 

Sehun looked to the three that remained with him and sat still until Yixing clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Come on Sehun, time for bed,” he hummed.

 

Sehun nodded, and as he turned, he could see Baekhyun staring at him. Sehun met his eye and bit his lip, wondering if he should say something. As he got up to follow Yixing, he thought about the potential consequences of such an action. There were a few of them, but there were other things Sehun could hope for as well.

 

"Can I sleep in Baekhyun's tent tonight?" Sehun asked right before he slipped through the tent flaps. Yixing looked back at Sehun in slight surprise. When Sehun looked back, Baekhyun's and Luhan's faces mirrored that surprise. Luhan looked at him like he was crazy, but Sehun looked back at him with what he hoped was confidence.

 

"Sure," Baekhyun muttered, getting up from his seat at the fire to go to his tent. Sehun breathed a sigh of relief and cast Luhan and Yixing reassuring looks. He would be fine. Then he switched directions and followed Baekhyun into his tent. He got dressed in his night clothes once inside and settled down on the second bedroll. Baekhyun was already settled by the time Sehun laid down and had his back to Sehun.

 

"Baekhyun?" Sehun called, keeping his voice soft.

 

"What?" Baekhyun responded, sounding fed up. Sehun tried not to let it bother him too much.

 

"Can we talk?"

 

There wasn't an immediate response. In fact, the response he got was a tired sigh right before Baekhyun rolled over to look at him.

 

"What is there to talk about?" he questioned. But that anger in Baekhyun's eyes silenced him for the time being. So much anger was still present. "Come on, speak up," Baekhyun hissed. "What did you want to sleep in my tent for?"

 

Sehun gulped and tried to reach out for Baekhyun. He tried to bridge the gap between them somehow. He wanted his friend back, even if he didn't deserve to have him back. He wanted to be better. He wanted to make Baekhyun happy the way he deserved.

 

Baekhyun slapped his hand away and sat up to glare down at Sehun. "You've had something to say all day," he growled. "And the minute you try to say something of worth, you can't say anything at all."

 

"I'm sorry-"

 

"Sorry isn't good enough!" Baekhyun hissed. "Sorry isn't going to bring her back. Sorry isn't going to fix you. It's not going to fix me." Then he laughed something bitter as a thought occurred to him. "You're probably just here for a fuck, right? Been weeks since you last whored yourself out and you come crawling back to the one who used to provide, is that it?"

 

"You've got it wrong! I-"

 

"Do you ever shut the fuck up?" Baekhyun growled as he crawled across the invisible barrier between them. He sat himself down on Sehun's chest, knees on either side of Sehun's head. All Sehun could do was stare up at him with wide eyes as the older boy reached into his pants and took out his dick. "Is this what you want?" he questioned. "Because I haven't had decent head since this whole thing started and I would love to shut you up for a while."

 

Sehun eyed Baekhyun with terror. He had learned to fear Baekhyun's moods, but he wondered what would happen if he said no. He didn't want to do this now, and giving this to Baekhyun wasn't in his contract. He could refuse and he shouldn't see punishment for it. But would Baekhyun find a way to punish him for it anyway?

 

He must have taken too long to respond, because Baekhyun let out a small mirthless laugh and backed away.

 

"You're telling the truth, aren't you?" Baekhyun breathed. "You didn't ask to sleep in my tent because of the sex. You don't want this."

 

Sehun felt guilty for that. Baekhyun needed something, and everything in Sehun was begging him not to give it to him. He didn't have to give it to him. But that wasn't the point. Sehun thrived on learning and being something needed by others. If he could be something Baekhyun needed, he would do anything.

 

Baekhyun moved to get off of Sehun. The conversation Sehun wanted to have tonight would not happen. Nothing was going to change.

 

Sehun needed something to change.

 

He gripped Baekhyun's arm before he could completely pull away, grabbing his attention.

 

"No, I don't want to," he admitted aloud. "But you do, right? You want to shut me up? Put me in my place? Make me regret living?"

 

"Yes," Baekhyun answered, his voice rumbling deep in his chest. "And more."

 

"Then I've taken too much from you to deny you those pleasures," Sehun whispered. "Please allow me to take care of you, even if you hate me. Please come to me when you need someone. I'm not asking you to be my friend again. I'm only asking to be your release. Then maybe another time, you'll let me speak to you about things I want to make right. You'll let me speak about things that hurt or feel good. You'll let me speak about love with you and its many forms."

 

"If you want to be my release," Baekhyun commented, returning to his position on Sehun's chest, "then shut up."

 

Sehun did.

 

\-----

 

Sehun woke in the morning someone shaking him by the shoulder. His immediate reaction was to panic, thinking he must have overslept. He was so tired from last night that when Baekhyun finished with him, Sehun had gone straight to sleep. He scrambled out of bed with apologies on his tongue, but a hand covered his mouth and he stilled. He looked up and saw Luhan, holding a finger to his mouth to let him know that he needed to be quiet. Sehun looked to his side as Baekhyun shifted at the slight commotion. Then he rolled over and stilled once more.

 

“Get dressed,” Luhan said with a whisper. Sehun did as told and dressed in his usual pants and tattered shirt. He looked like a poor man among the wealthy when it came to his attire. Once dressed, he clambered over Baekhyun and out of the tent. He was about to offer breakfast when Luhan took his hand and led him away from camp.

 

Sehun didn’t know where they were going, but he had a feeling Luhan knew exactly what was out here. Stopping in this place to make camp had been Luhan’s call, after all. It couldn’t have been an accident that something Luhan wanted to show Sehun was out here. He shouldn’t have felt any surprise when Luhan brought him to the side of a little shrine pool. It was tiny by comparison to the others Sehun had seen, but it was no less beautiful. The problem was that Sehun didn't belong in places like these.

 

“Pray with me,” Luhan said as he sat down. Sehun didn’t want to. He had told Luhan this a few times now. What happened after the last time he prayed was enough to make him hate prayer.

 

“I don’t believe in the gods, Luhan.”

 

“Sehun,” Luhan said from his sitting position. He didn’t even look back at Sehun, but he didn’t need to for the younger boy to hear the hardness in his voice. “I don’t want to assign a punishment for this, but I will if you do not do as I say.”

 

“I can’t pray to someone that’s abandoned me,” Sehun cried. “Bad things happen when I pray. Don’t make me do this.”

 

Luhan stood up quick to slap Sehun hard across the face. “They have not abandoned you,” he shouted at Sehun’s face. “They are watching you and they are disappointed in you. They know you are better than this. You have proven to them that you are, and yet you still…” Luhan took a heavy breath to calm himself. Then he looked back at Sehun again. “Fifty lashes,” he gritted out. “Baekhyun will administer them. I still expect you to kneel, wash your face, and apologize to the Listeners.” Then he grabbed Sehun by the neck and forced him down onto his knees in front of the pool of water.

 

"Luhan, whatever gods exist, they hate me!" Sehun told him in a pleading tone. "I have prayed my whole life and they brought me nothing but torment in the form of Sir Choi. Then after my escape, I prayed again for Taeyeon's peaceful passing. She died in agony. And that time you got me to pray again, I found out who Baekhyun was. Nothing good comes from me praying! I don't want to do it!"

 

"But you are going to, and that is the end of this discussion."

 

Sehun was angry as well as afraid. He worried more bad things would happen as soon as he did this. He wasn't even thinking of the fifty lashes. As he reached into the pool for water to wash his face, he feared the consequences of doing this. He was so dirty that even the gods didn't want him. Luhan hadn't thought about it at all. He settled beside Sehun and immediately went into prayer. Sehun folded his hands, but he didn’t know what to say to the gods anymore.

 

He prayed for help and guidance and apologized for the things he had said and done. But he still didn’t believe in the goodness of the gods or what Luhan said they thought of him. He only did it to avoid worse punishments. But nothing was worse than the expression on Luhan's face right now.

 

Luhan looked so disappointed in him and Sehun felt that alone tug at his heart. Luhan wasn’t good with punishment, but Sehun always felt the worst when Luhan gave him that look. Worse than worthless. He was dirt under their shoes when Luhan looked at him like that.

 

When they returned to camp, Luhan explained to Baekhyun what had happened. After he had the full story, Baekhyun went to work on punishing Sehun. He seemed both irritated and pleased that he was in charge of punishment again. Sehun didn't anticipate anything easy. That wasn't Baekhyun's style. It was always big and memorable regardless of the gravity of the infraction.

 

“We are decent to you. We could ask you to do so much worse,” he told Sehun. “Praying is easy. I know you know how. Do you know how real slaves are treated?”

 

Sehun shook his head. All he knew of slaves was what Yixing had told him in the capitol, and that hadn't been much.

 

"Let me put it this way: you have rights and they don't. At least, not to their masters," Baekhyun began. "If you were under a true slave contract, you would eat scraps and drink anything the donkey misses. Your beatings may be because someone lied and blamed something on you that you didn't do." Then he crossed his arms to show his displeasure. "And no one gets ordered something simple like a prayer. You're disregarding the kindness they have shown you in your contract. I don't care how frustrated you get with the rules. You asked to be punished and the guilty are not supposed to like what they are given."

 

Sehun swallowed hard. He didn't like where this was going. What did Baekhyun have planned for him?

 

"We're putting you on strict rations until we arrive in Rioda," Baekhyun began. "But that's not all. You don't get to sleep in the tents until Rioda either. In all your spare time, if you are not tending to one of us, you must be studying or practicing something. I don't want to hear you complain of not knowing what to do. You have plenty to do. Practice reading. Practice using your magic. Begin the work Chanyeol left you with. Sword forms. Etiquette. Posture. As long as you are working, you won't see any lashes. But on the day we arrive in Rioda, you will submit to the pillory again."

 

Sehun immediately shrank back with the last sentence. He immediately began to tremble with dread and panic. In his head, he saw the crowd from his last stay in a pillory and his mind started to go back to dark places.

 

A hand landed on his shoulder, comforting him and bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked back up at Baekhyun who wore an expression of understanding that Sehun hadn't seen in a while. That was a nice change. The reassurance that came with Baekhyun's next words soothed him a little as well.

 

"If what Chanyeol says about the kindness of these people is true, it will not be the same experience as in that town." Sehun looked to the side at Luhan and Yixing. Yixing seemed to agree with that statement, but he still wore his same frown of disapproval. Luhan looked pale. He had put Sehun in this position to scare him into doing what he told him to. It was a partial success, and Luhan hated that he had to follow through on his threat. But it was too late to take it back now.

 

Sehun tried to give him a look of assurance. He would be okay, even if he didn't feel confident. Baekhyun seemed to relent a little when he noted the worry pass through everyone around him. He gave a heavy, irritated sigh.

 

"I'll make a deal with you," he snapped, getting Sehun's attention back. "If you don't require punishments between here and Rioda, I'll only make you stay at the pillory for an hour. But if you earn lashes at all, even one, I'm making you stay there for three. Got it?"

 

Sehun smiled a little at that and nodded his head in understanding. "Got it," he repeated. Then he began planning how he was going to pass from task to task without wasting time. He would have to manage his time well for the next few days to keep busy. And he didn't anticipate having much energy to do it all. His sleep was going to be compromised by the chill and he would have less food filling his belly. This wasn't going to be easy.

 

\-----

 

Baekhyun made his day rather difficult. He wasn't going to make this easy to escape without testing his limits, but Sehun was stubborn. He wanted to spend as little time in front of the public eye as possible. But Baekhyun's needs on the first day alone seemed to double or even triple from what they usually were. On the road he was always making requests of Sehun such as carrying his pack or making all the food. It was even worse when they stopped for breaks.

 

As soon as Sehun would start working on something, Baekhyun had another task. If he was working on something with Yixing, the rabbit would tell Baekhyun to do whatever it was himself. Yixing hated distractions with a burning passion. If he started something with Sehun, he was going to finish it without Sehun getting dragged off.

 

At lunch time it was different. Sehun was doing some self study while nibbling on the remains of a pheasant breast. His lunch had been small and he was still hungry, but he knew better than to ask for more. He was turning a page in his book of flora when Baekhyun walked up to his side.

 

"Come with me," he ordered. He didn't give Sehun much time to obey. He stalked off while Sehun marked his place with a leaf and got up to hurry after him. Baekhyun took them into the woods, a way away from Luhan and Yixing.

 

When they had some privacy, Baekhyun pressed himself to Sehun's front. Sehun looked down at him in slight surprise. Though he had invited this behavior the night before, he didn't expect Baekhyun to act on it so fast.

 

"I need a little of that release you promised me," Baekhyun whispered. Sehun gulped and nodded, not wanting to deny Baekhyun. In his head, he owed Baekhyun something like this; something of himself. He could destroy himself trying to pay back what he had taken from Baekhyun. "Get down for me."

 

Sehun sank to his hands and knees and let his mind fade away while Baekhyun had him. He didn't want to be doing this, but his body responded all on its own, making him hard and moan despite how wrong this felt.

 

The pain was deeper than pain of the body. It was a pain of the heart and soul. If Luhan knew, Sehun knew he might call it abuse. He might call it rape, because Sehun didn't want it. But Sehun called this consent. There was no knife to his throat. It wasn't forced on him by his contract. He could say no at any time. But Sehun knew deep down that he didn't have a right to say no to Baekhyun. All he could say was yes and give and give and give while Baekhyun took and took and took.

 

"Don't come," Baekhyun whispered to him as he neared his end. "Your release is a reward, but you are being punished. During this punishment, I'll decide when you can come."

 

Sehun nodded his head, biting back a moan while Baekhyun spoke. He had to show restraint with himself. He wasn't used to denial like this anymore. Since leaving Sir Choi, he had lost that discipline. It was difficult to achieve when Baekhyun filled him up with warm, sticky seed. Sehun was so close, but he squeezed his eyes and flexed a few different muscle groups to keep himself in control.

 

Baekhyun hummed his satisfaction right into the shell of Sehun's ear. Sehun shivered with need, but he didn't breathe a word of it. Then Baekhyun pulled out of him and was righting his clothes.

 

"I'll give you two minutes to collect yourself," Baekhyun told him as he tucked himself back into his pants. "Be back at the road by then and return to your studies until we leave." Then he began his walk back towards their other two companions. He stopped after only a few feet and directed one last comment to Sehun. "Oh, and keep yourself prepped tonight. I may or may not come see you."

 

Then he was gone, leaving Sehun only with his words. Two minutes to calm himself. Two minutes to fix his clothing and hide his erection. He did those things as soon as Baekhyun left, but he cried, too. He cried and he thought about how he had thrown himself into something all too familiar.

 

For a few seconds, Baekhyun had sounded like Sir Choi.


	13. Chapter 13

He didn’t get any sleep, but it wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that Baekhyun came to him. He pulled Sehun into his tent and had his way with him before kicking him out again. All Sehun had to do was follow orders. The only thing he enjoyed about this was that Baekhyun was scorching on his ice-cold skin. It was a chilly night and Sehun needed the body heat before he froze to death.

 

When Luhan came to collect him for morning prayer, Sehun tried to pretend he wasn't as tired as he felt. He got down on his knees as soon as Luhan told him to and descended into prayer the way he used to. If Luhan was serious about this, Sehun must be missing something important and he didn’t know how to ask about it.

 

After prayer, they packed up again and they were on their way. By nightfall, the same as yesterday occurred. Sehun kept himself busy all evening until bedtime. Then he shivered at the fire's edge until Baekhyun summoned him.

 

It was the third day that was most difficult to handle. His stomach growled for more even right after he ate, and exhaustion was catching up to him. Keeping busy and then not putting enough nutrients into his body took a toll on him. Sehun dropped his wooden sword for the fifth time before Baekhyun looked away from his book.

 

"You need to do better than that," he snapped.

 

"I'm trying, I'm sorry," Sehun apologized as he picked up the wooden sword once more.

 

"Trying isn't good enough," Baekhyun growled. "It's not even a real sword. What will you do if someone attacks you and you drop a real sword? Tried and failed gets you dead."

 

"I know!" Sehun whined. "I'll learn, I promise! I'm just..." He paused, thinking better of that complaint.

 

"Just what?" Baekhyun prodded. "Tired? Hungry? Get used to it."

 

But Sehun couldn't get used to it. He kept practicing, but he hadn't had a full meal in three days and no proper sleep. Yixing had been offering his shoulder as a place to rest his head when they walked. Sehun was that sleep deprived. What was worse was that Baekhyun asked Sehun to cook all their meals. Sehun got to smell it all, but he never got much of it.

 

Sehun's stomach twisted with hunger, causing him to lose his grip on the wooden sword again. He stared down at it in defeat and tried to convince himself that he should pick it up and continue. He should, but all he could do was stare at it with a frown and aching muscles.

 

Baekhyun looked up from his book at Sehun one more time. His face was stoic as he met Sehun's eye.

 

"How tired are you?" Baekhyun questioned. Sehun felt himself freeze up.

 

"Very," Sehun answered. His eyes even fluttered closed for a moment as he thought about how tired he was.

 

"Do you want to sleep?" was Baekhyun's next question.

 

"Yes," Sehun replied.

 

"Then go ahead," Baekhyun invited. "Sleep if it will make you feel better."

 

Sehun didn't relax, knowing there was a catch to that invitation. Baekhyun wouldn't make it that easy for Sehun to get what he wanted. But would it be so bad if Baekhyun made something else worse? All Sehun thought about for the last few days was food and sleep. He couldn't even concentrate on his tasks.

 

"If you do, though, there will be consequences," Baekhyun finally added.

 

"I know," Sehun muttered, clenching his fists at his side.

 

"If you decide to sleep, you will get a full fifty lashes every day until the end of your punishment," Baekhyun said. "And your time in the pillory will be four hours; the maximum time I can keep you there under the law. That is all a slave that sleeps on the job deserves."

 

It was tempting. Sehun had suffered the lashings before. He could do it again. But the threat of the length of time at the pillory gave him pause. Two hours had pushed and tested his sanity. What would four hours do to him?

 

Before Sehun knew what was happening, Luhan was before him. Luhan's hands were on his face, keeping him still and his eyes focused on him.

 

"Sehun, don't agree to that," Luhan pleaded. "Think about it. You've been doing well. So well. I'm proud of how well you've been doing. We're less than two days out from Rioda. You can last another two days, can't you? Two days."

 

"But I'm so tired, Luhan," Sehun whispered. "I want to sleep."

 

"I know," Luhan said. "I wish I could go back and change my mind about this, but it's too late for that. But you're almost there. And I'm taking you to practice with me now. So put away your sword and come with me."

 

Sehun bit his lip, but he nodded and picked up the sword to put it away. He spent the rest of his time working on his posture and the rules of speaking to people far superior to him. At night, Luhan tried to occupy his time again with tasks, urging him to stay calm and keep going.

 

The two days more that led to Rioda were hell. Sehun didn't know how he managed. Luhan's encouragements were a huge help and Sehun didn't know if he was grateful for that or not. Yixing made him walk proud for the past two days. Yixing said sometimes you have to fake a feeling before you believe it. If Yixing was trying to make him feel proud of the accomplishment, it wasn't working yet.

 

Sehun only found pride in praise these days. But all he was hearing lately was a litany of 'no's and slaps on the wrist that didn't qualify as punishment. Sehun had made it to the end without incurring extra punishments. He felt exhausted in both mind and body and his stomach kept asking for more food that he wasn't yet allowed to give it. He wouldn't be able to take a full meal until the day after they arrived in Rioda.

 

Walking into the city did nothing to make Sehun feel any better about himself. It was midday and the height of the market rush when they arrived and they took him straight to the pillory.

 

"Don't panic," Luhan urged him as they approached the square. "Chanyeol said the people here are good people. Perhaps it will be different than last time."

 

Sehun didn't have high hopes, but he was glad for the hand that held his the whole walk there. Squeezing Luhan's hand gave him enough strength to keep breathing and keep walking. The prospect of the pillory frightened him, but he needed to do it.

 

Luhan held his hand up until the last second. Sehun leaned down onto the open frame of the pillory on a voluntary basis. He didn't want Baekhyun to shove him down like last time. That had hurt, and it had left a bruise on his neck that reminded Sehun what it felt like to have a hand around his throat.

 

Baekhyun shut and locked the second half of the frame around Sehun's neck and wrists with a soft bang and click.

 

"As promised: one hour," Baekhyun said. "Then you continue with today as you have for the past five days. Tomorrow, you can go back to your standard rules."

 

Sehun gave him a stiff nod and Baekhyun walked away. Yixing hurried off after him, not wanting to stay to watch any of this. Luhan lingered for a few moments. He stayed long enough to run a hand through Sehun's hair and down his cheek. Sehun found himself leaning as much as he could into the touch.

 

"I'll be okay," he promised. He even gave him a brave little smile. He didn't want Luhan to worry too much. From the sound of it, he had been a mess last time.

 

"You better be," Luhan whispered to him. Then his hand was gone and Sehun was alone.

 

A small crowd had gathered already, more out of curiosity than anything. They weren't as excited as the crowd in the prior town had been and that seemed to settle Sehun for a moment or two. But a clod of dirt came and smacked him in the face right after he lowered his guard. He gasped and closed his eyes, preparing for another. But all that came was verbal scolding that were not aimed at him.

 

When Sehun dared open his eyes again, a woman stood in front of him, her arms akimbo. She carried a heavy presence that spoke of leadership. Elected or not, Sehun could not tell, but no one spoke before she did.

 

"Explain yourself, Hyeon," she called into the crowd. Someone pushed a boy forward, no older than nine years of age. His face held a defiant expression and his posture was defensive with closed arms. "You know the rules. Until a sign goes up, you do not cast judgement."

 

"My mom said anyone in there is to be taught a lesson," the boy hissed.

 

"I think you need to be taught a lesson," the woman returned. Then she jerked her head in Sehun's general direction. "How about I put you in there next?"

 

The boy paled and didn't say anything. Sehun noted the slight fear that hid well in his eyes before the boy retreated. Then the woman turned to Sehun with an apologetic expression and moved past him. She grabbed something from a table off to the side and returned. She now had a length of canvas and some charcoal in her hands.

 

"I want to apologize for him," she said to Sehun, keeping her voice low. "That was not fair to you. Many people who end up here are not given a formal trial, so we try not to judge until we know more." She placed her items down for a moment and pulled out a little napkin from one of the pockets on her apron. She wiped his face of the dirt and Sehun noted that he was trembling. He must look like such a coward to her.

 

"I-I don't understand..." Sehun breathed, afraid to speak. "I expected it to happen this way."

 

"Then this is your first time in our city," she hummed, picking the charcoal back up. "Other places may have no rules for their people when it comes to prisoners, but we do. So, here's how it's going to work: you will be honest with me, and they will decide what to do with the information you give me. Can you do that?"

 

Sehun nodded, wide eyed and trying not to cry in front of her.

 

"What is your name?" she asked, starting easy.

 

"Sehun Oh," he answered, voice shaking.

 

"What did you do to have someone put you here?" she continued, writing down his answer.

 

"I refused an order from my master..." Sehun told her, casting his eyes downward.

 

"What was the order?"

 

"To pray to the gods."

 

"Why did you refuse it?"

 

That question surprised him, but Sehun swallowed and tried to answer as best as he could. "The last few times I have prayed, bad things happened to people I care about. I lost faith, but if the gods do exist, they must hate me. I didn't want to bring more hardship on my loved ones and I feared praying would allow it to come."

 

She hummed while she wrote down his answers. She didn't immediately offer her thoughts until she finished writing and moved to his side to hang it up. "You will have mixed responses from this one," she sighed. "Many of us here try to believe in a good heart. They will look at your wish to keep those around you safe and many will spare you harsh judgement. But you will find others who believe a slave should obey without question or hesitation. They will not be kind to you."

 

"How does one be kind to anyone like this?" Sehun questioned. "I know how vile people can be."

 

She laughed at that, shocked by his words. "Then let me do the honors of showing you the other side of people," she said. "Because I do not believe that you belong up here, Sehun Oh."

 

Then she reached into the same pocket from which she pulled her napkin. From it, she produced a handful of rose petals that she let slip through her fingers over Sehun's head. Sehun stared at her in confusion.

 

"This is my judgement on you," she told him. "Let it be a reminder that some of us still know what being gentle means." Then she stepped away completely and Sehun's hour got under way.

 

Sehun tried to remember what she said, but the reactions of people were as mixed as she guessed. The first few things thrown at him smelled of excrement and mold. With the items were harsh words about a slave's place. Some questioned what he had done to earn a curse from the gods and pelted him with more mud.

 

But then some came and threw words of encouragement and flowers at his feet. They were wildflowers in many bright colors and sizes and their smell was delicate. He almost couldn't smell them above the decay, but it was there. It gave him comfort to know that the woman had been right. Not everyone held a hard heart in their chest.

 

The other difference from the people in the other town was the duration of individuals. Once they passed their judgement, they were gone, back to their own tasks. It meant the crowd never got very large. It also meant that if someone horrid came by, they did not stay to taunt him further. He was sad when the good people left though.

 

His last two visitors came only minutes before his hour was up. The first was a little girl who had been biding her time, waiting for the crowd to shrink. She ran up and placed a crown of lavender on his head. She didn't seem to mind the smell of him. She even patted his cheek and smiled before running off again.

 

The last was a monk who brought with him a small basin of water and a towel. He took his time cleaning Sehun's face of the mess. It didn't do much in the long run, but Sehun appreciated it so much he started to tear up. Then the monk offered to pray for him. He reasoned that if such a curse existed, it might not extend to others that prayed for Sehun. Sehun gave him a small, uncertain smile and the monk dipped his head before leaving.

 

At the end of his hour, the woman returned and stood to the side while they waited for Sehun's group to return. They all arrived at the same time, Luhan hurrying to the front to check on Sehun first. Baekhyun stepped to the side to collect the key from the stationed guard. Yixing stood back, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

 

"How are you feeling?" Luhan questioned, already picking bits of rotten food out of Sehun's hair.

 

Sehun still shook at the touch, afraid that any feeling would mean pain. The few good people he had seen seemed to lessen that fear, but it still lingered. The good news was that, while distressed, nothing had pushed him to his mental edge. He feared, but it was fear of rot and humiliation. It was not fear of stones and death.

 

"I'm okay," he answered Luhan. "I..."

 

Luhan pressed a finger to Sehun's lips to quiet him. "We'll get you out of here first. Then I'll give you a bath. After that, we can talk."

 

Sehun nodded and tried to be patient. But beyond Luhan, Sehun's eye caught the boy that had thrown the first clod of dirt. He stood against the wall of one of the shops looking defeated and well scolded.

 

"Excuse me, miss," Sehun called to the woman. She looked up at him with a raised brow.

 

"Yes?" she asked, coming a little closer.

 

"Are you going to put him up here?" Sehun asked.

 

"Who?" she asked. Then she looked at the boy and back at Sehun. "Hyeon? Why? Are you worried about him?"

 

Sehun flushed a light shade of pink and nodded. 

 

"You don't need to worry about him," she assured Sehun. "Putting children his age up here is for verbal scolding only. If the parents refuse to teach their children the rules, everyone else will. But until he is an adult, no one will lay a finger on him or throw anything at him. He will be up here for a maximum of a half hour. But I'll probably let him go at twenty minutes." That was a relief to hear, but at the same time, Sehun didn't feel quite right.

 

"Could..." Sehun began, unsure of how to express what he was thinking. "Could I take his punishment for him?"

 

"Sehun, what are you saying?" Yixing demanded.

 

"He's a child, Yixing," Sehun said in a pleading tone. "I don't want him up here..."

 

"But what will taking his punishment for him teach him?" Sehun turned his head to see Baekhyun standing there, arms crossed. The key was in his hand and Sehun's freedom was right beyond his nose. He wanted it, but he needed to figure this out first.

 

"If she allows me to take his punishment, I can take it as an adult," Sehun explained. "Maybe he'll know the consequences better if he knows where they lead. Right now, he's got it easy. But he won't when he's older."

 

"In any case," the woman interrupted, "you need the consent of your masters. And judging by the looks on their faces, it doesn't look like they are going to grant it."

 

"Children like that don't learn the easy way," Yixing said to Sehun. "They can only learn through their own experiences. Not through yours. I'm denying it."

 

"I will deny it as well," Luhan added. His tone sounded so final that Sehun couldn't say anything. "I have no doubt that he has seen adults spend time here for the same infraction. If he has not learned by now, he will not learn until it is his turn."

 

"I agree."

 

That last one surprised Sehun. Baekhyun? Agreeing to not extend Sehun's punishment time? Sehun couldn't believe it. But then he deflated and Baekhyun released him from the pillory at last.

 

Sehun stood on shaky feet. Luhan came to his aid and wound a stabilizing hand around Sehun's waist. Sehun couldn't express his gratitude at the moment because a bout of dizziness hit him. He was so much more awake than last time and that itself was almost disorienting.

 

They led him away from the pillory and Sehun hoped that would be the last time he ever had to spend time in one. His steps were slow, but Luhan didn't mind. He walked at Sehun's pace to be sure he was all right and helped him with the stairs to their room at the inn.

 

There were people that gave him pitying looks on the way back. It was obvious from where he had come. Sehun kept his head down to keep his own embarrassment at his state hidden. He was glad when they were finally able to close the door to their room behind them.

 

Luhan took him straight to the bathroom where he could clean up. He ran the bath while Sehun ditched his filthy clothes on the floor. He placed the flower crown aside, not yet ready to part with it completely.

 

The water was hot when he sank into it and it was so pleasant he moaned and sank a little further under. Hands came to his skin next, massaging soap into every crack of his body. The fingers loosened the tight muscles beneath as they went, helping Sehun to relax. He shifted under the waters, getting comfortable and sleepy. He was so relaxed he didn’t realize how low Luhan’s hands were traveling. It wasn't until fingers were between his thighs that he realized it.

 

His head fell back against the rim of the tub from the touch. It didn't matter how innocent it was; Sehun still grew hard from the simple touches. He shifted with discomfort, but Luhan didn't seem to notice. Sehun wasn't sure why he didn't push Luhan's hands away right then. He wasn't thinking about it.

 

The moan that left his mouth was an accident. The amounts of stimulation and the lack of orgasm in the past few days took a toll on him. He wanted that pleasure and he wanted that relief, but he hadn't earned it. He was being punished. But the moan slipped out as Luhan's fingers rubbed the dirt from his skin.

 

The hands stilled at the sound, seeming to understand the unspoken begging in his voice. He had Luhan's attention, and all Sehun wanted was to sink into the floor. His face flushed with fresh embarrassment and he waited for Luhan to pull away from him. 

 

The thing was, Sehun didn't remember if this had been a problem the last time Luhan gave him a bath. Luhan might not even have been this thorough last time. Even if he had been, Sehun was much more awake this time around and tighter wound. It was much more difficult to ignore his arousal and pretend it never happened.

 

Luhan’s hands started to move again, rubbing more soap into the skin of Sehun’s most intimate areas. Sehun thought he was going to brush it off and not bring attention to it. He allowed himself to drop his guard. Then the movements changed, and one of those delicate hands wrapped around his length. Sehun jerked and bit back a moan when Luhan gave him a firm stroke from base to tip. He even swiped a thumb over the head of his cock. It felt good.

 

Sehun's eyes flew open and he gasped, grabbing for that hand to push it away. His punishment was still active. Baekhyun's rules were still in effect. No matter how much he wanted to accept Luhan's touch, he couldn't. 

 

“It’s okay, Sehun,” Luhan whispered, startled by Sehun's quick movements. His hand remained on Sehun, but it was still. Sehun pushed at the hand again, insistent. Luhan let go, not wanting to distress him further. “Sehun, I can tell you need it. What's wrong?”

 

Sehun looked up at Luhan with a will stronger than he thought he possessed. “You're propositioning me, master,” he said, doing as the rules stated he should. He had to report it when someone made a move for sex. He knew the rule wasn't meant for this, but he needed to have an excuse to get out of it. “What do you want me to do?” It was a challenge for Luhan to stick to the rules, order him to release, or let him go.

 

Luhan looked around the room as if looking for an excuse of his own to not answer. But he finally sighed and said, “Do you wish to take me up on the offer?”

 

“No,” Sehun answered, finally managing to push Luhan’s hand away completely. He was still hard and he very much wanted relief, but Baekhyun forbade it and this was punishment. Everything he could not do was justified and he would hold to it to the best of his abilities. It didn’t matter how much like paradise Luhan’s hands felt on him. It didn’t matter that he wanted to feel more of it. It didn’t matter how much of it he wanted to return to Luhan as well.

 

Luhan gave up after that without another word and moved to wash Sehun’s hair instead. In time, Sehun settled and he grew soft again, though the unsatisfied ache remained in his stomach.

 

“Why is this necessary, Sehun?” Luhan finally spoke, asking a question Sehun figured he had had for quite a while.

 

“Because I needed it,” Sehun answered. “I needed a way to repay her for my life. I didn’t deserve to keep breathing. But she wanted me to.”

 

“You know this won’t bring her back,” Luhan said as he massaged Sehun’s scalp. “Your death won’t either.”

 

“I know that!” Sehun growled.

 

“Then why did you consider death an option?” Luhan asked.

 

“Like you told me when this started:” Sehun replied, “death is easy.”

 

“If doing the right thing were easy, everyone would do it,” Luhan acknowledged. “But it’s not. And your destined path is still ahead of you.”

 

“And what is my destined path?” Sehun asked. “A path back to the gods?”

 

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Luhan answered. “But that is not all.”

 

“Then what else?” Sehun challenged. “Because right now, I see no path. I have another ten months under this contract. There is no path for me to walk but yours.”

 

“Maybe, despite how I feel about it, this is where you need to be,” Luhan said. “You’re not just a contracted slave alone. You’re on a journey, are you not? To find someone. Maybe he will give you purpose when you find him. But you would not be here if it weren’t for the four of us. You might be dead somewhere in a river.” Then he reached into the water and pulled out one of Sehun’s hands to place something small and smooth in his hand. “You don’t know what this is,” he said, “but I do.” He allowed Sehun time to look at the moonstone that they had taken from him when punishment began. Sehun felt relief now that it was back in his possession. Luhan continued to speak. “I know what this means and I’m just waiting for you to figure it out, too.”

 

Sehun looked at the last gift he received from Taeyeon and folded his fingers around it. What was Luhan talking about? What else could this moonstone be other than a clue to the whereabouts of Taeyeon’s brother Jongin?

 

And then something came to his mind and he asked Luhan a question of Luhan he never thought he would have to ask. With a sense of dread, Sehun opened his mouth.

 

“Have you found the one you were sent to find?” he asked, turning his head to look back at Luhan. "That mystery king?”

 

Luhan smile with a brightness that rivaled the sun. “I have.”

 

“And who is it?”

 

Luhan hummed. “Well, I met him when I fell to earth,” he began. “And I’ve been hiding his identity from him all this time because I knew his destiny would scare him.”

 

“You’ve gotten it wrong,” Sehun whispered, turning back to stare at the water in the tub.

 

“No, I haven’t,” Luhan shot back. He came around to the side of the tub so he could make Sehun look at him. He placed a hand under Sehun’s chin to raise his gaze. “From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you would one day be king of Ilesseas. And someone else has seen it, too.” Luhan tapped Sehun’s closed fist where the moonstone lay hidden. “I am not meant to pass up all the information I have, but one day you will realize why she gave this to you. Because it wasn’t only to find her lost brother. Did she want to see him? Yes. Was she separated from him by a curse? Yes. Did she want you to deliver her apology? Yes. But that is not the only reason she wanted you to find him. And someday, you will understand.”

 

“I’m no king!” Sehun cried. “I’m no noble. I’m dirty and worthless and a willing prisoner! Two women are dead because of me. One I didn’t even know, but I should have. My father is probably dead, too. What king lets those he loves perish for him?”

 

“What good king has no one who would willingly die for him?” Luhan asked in return. “Be patient. Time will prove there is no one better suited to be the king of Ilesseas than you. Someone else will see you for the diamond underneath everything like I have. Like your friends have, and like your family has.”

 

“I doubt that,” Sehun grumbled. “Watch; they’ll turn me away at the castle gates if you manage to get me that far.” Then his nose was being plugged and Luhan dunked him suddenly into the tub to get the soap out of his hair. Sehun flailed in distress, but Luhan allowed him back up after only a few short seconds. Sehun 0gasped for breath as soon as he broke the surface.

 

“What the fucking hell!?” Sehun spluttered as water fell down his face. Almost immediately, Luhan shoved a bar of soap into his mouth. Sehun whined at the taste but didn’t remove it.

 

“I have a little less than a year to get you there,” Luhan said with a confident smirk as he looked down at Sehun. “And you can’t fight me on it. Now get out and get dressed. We still have to settle in and find work. Keep the soap in your mouth for a little longer. I’ll tell you when you can remove it."


	14. Chapter 14

After getting dressed and Luhan allowed him to remove the soap, Sehun relaxed back into his body. The day continued with him attending to tasks as usual. He didn't perform anything with equipment in the room, but Luhan had him sit down for some reading. Sehun turned to Baekhyun every time he struggled with a new word. Bored, Baekhyun supplied him with help without complaint.

 

"You have a lisp," Baekhyun noted after the latest word; promiscuous. "Fix it."

 

Sehun flinched back at the order but nodded his head. It was likely something Baekhyun had noticed before and never said anything about. Sehun wondered how he was to go about making that change, but he didn't voice that concern. Luhan had been teaching him to speak to a variety of different superiors. Perhaps he could help here as well. "Okay..."

 

Baekhyun then gripped Sehun's face and fixed him with a stern expression. "Your punishment is over in the morning," he said, not allowing Sehun to look away. "There are still worse things we could do to you. Remember that and obey from now on."

 

Sehun's lip trembled. "If I obey, will you never put me in front of people again?" he asked.

 

"I don't make deals with slaves," Baekhyun growled. His grip on Sehun's face tightened enough to be uncomfortable, but not bruising. "But your best chance of me never doing that again is obedience."

 

"Then I will obey," Sehun promised. Baekhyun released him from his grip and got up from his seated position.

 

"We shall see," he grunted. He headed for the door of their room with a few words tossed over his shoulder. "I'm going to find us jobs. I'll be back in a bit."

 

Once he was out the door, Sehun turned to Yixing and Luhan.

 

“Chanyeol said I might find a gift for the Moon Witch here,” he reminded them.

 

“Yes,” Yixing hummed. “But if I recall, you are not allowed money. So, find what you would like to get for her and tell us how much. Until then, we will work and save for supplies for the trip into the mountains.”

 

Sehun nodded. Since he didn’t know what he would be getting, he had to work hard to make sure their savings were enough. His gift had the potential to be very expensive and they still needed supplies. He gulped the saliva in his mouth when he realized there might only be one option for getting that kind of money.

 

He seemed to have gotten lost in his thoughts for a few moments, because a tap to his shoulder startled him a little. He blinked a few times and looked at Luhan.

 

"Let's start speech therapy while we wait for Baekhyun to return," he suggested. "Best to start now so he sees results soon, yes?"

 

Sehun nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "Make him happy and he might leave me alone for a while."

 

Luhan nodded back and Yixing even came to Luhan's side to help. They gave him vocal exercises and words to practice on. But Baekhyun didn't return for a few hours. He didn't return until nightfall. They had grown somewhat worried after the long period of time. But Baekhyun walked in like he hadn't been gone long and flopped down onto his bed with a sigh.

 

"We work the dinner shifts at the tavern downstairs starting tomorrow," he told them. Sehun wondered for a short moment how that had taken Baekhyun hours to find. But then he spied a bruise at the base of Baekhyun's neck and the question answered itself.

 

No one stayed awake much longer when promised work the next day. They needed to rest. Sehun fell asleep still practicing his tongue twisters and trying to perfect every S in his way.

 

He woke to Baekhyun shaking him in the middle of the night. Disoriented from sleep, Sehun's reaction time was not what Baekhyun wanted it to be. He pulled on Sehun until he was up on his feet and yanked until they were in the bathroom. Baekhyun closed and locked the door behind them. He was starting to scare Sehun a little. He didn't know what to do except stay put and wait for Baekhyun to say or do anything.

 

Baekhyun came at him with frustration flooding from his eyes.

 

"I've had a hell of a day," Baekhyun told him, voice as quiet as death. "Now I need release."

 

Sehun wanted to say no. He was still mentally drained and hungry and exhausted. He didn't want to satisfy Baekhyun's needs. Baekhyun saw the hesitation in Sehun and pressed onward. 

 

"You don't want to," Baekhyun concluded. Sehun fiddled with his fingers for a moment before he shook his head.

 

"But you do," Sehun whispered. "That's all that matters." Then he lowered his pants and got down.

 

It hurt more than usual. Baekhyun stuffed Sehun's mouth with his trousers and pinned his hands above his head. Sehun felt like he was dying on the inside, but all the same, Sehun went limp. He tried to relax while Baekhyun rid himself of his frustration. He let his brain drift off, much as it had during his first time at the pillory. He wandered into a place where the pain didn't exist and all he could feel was security. This place was at least safe.

 

He didn't know how long this lasted, but when he came back to himself, there was no more pain. Baekhyun stood over him, staring at him. In the dark, Sehun thought he might have seen remorse in Baekhyun's eyes, but it disappeared soon after. Sehun didn't move an inch while Baekhyun stood there; afraid.

 

"Get back to sleep," Baekhyun told him. "You have work tomorrow." Then he removed himself from the bathroom, leaving Sehun to put himself back together.

 

\-----

 

In the morning, Luhan woke Sehun for prayer as usual. Sehun didn't feel well, mind still jumbled from last night with Baekhyun. He woke up sore and unhappy. Tending to Baekhyun had stopped bringing him the satisfaction he needed a while back. Baekhyun didn't teach him how to please him anymore. He only took what he needed and left out Sehun's needs. But Sehun assumed that was the life of a slave. They were property that served a purpose. But as a piece of property, he was replaceable. He was not needed.

 

Leaving those thoughts behind, Sehun followed Luhan out of the inn. He didn't like doing this every morning, but it was better than the alternative. He hated beatings and the public humiliation was worse. They were quiet on the way to what Sehun supposed was a shrine similar to the ones they had visited before.

 

Sehun kicked rocks along the street as they walked. He was getting quite used to having no shoes. In the beginning, the soles of his feet had rebelled. They bled and hurt with every step he took on a sharp rock, but now his feet had hardened with calluses and dirt. Too bad the arches of his feet hadn't adjusted the same way. If they had, foot whipping would be easier to take then. But he supposed that was the point. The punishment wouldn't be a punishment at all if administered to a part of the body that dealt well with pain.

 

They arrived shortly to the shrine and Luhan led the way in, expecting no fuss from Sehun. He got none. They sat at the pool and washed their faces. Luhan was first to fold his hands and go quiet. Sehun followed. He said the common prayers in his head first; the ones he learned growing up. But after those, he started to listen.

 

As always, he heard people and their children leaving their homes. He heard them speaking to one another, playing. He heard dogs barking, carts rolling down the street, bells ringing to signal dawn. He heard birds singing. It sounded very familiar.

 

Sehun opened his eyes and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the songbird. He couldn't see it, but he knew that song. Before he could think better of it, he let out a series of practiced whistled notes. He had lots of time to get them right when he was doing chores and silent tasks.

 

The bird immediately answered his call and a flutter caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to look and a little bird landed on his shoulder. Startled, he froze, not expecting the little visitor to stay put. But it did and it tilted its little head as it looked at him and he looked at it.

 

"She came to visit you."

 

Sehun turned his head to Luhan, worried he'd be angry for interrupting prayer. But Luhan's face held a soft smile and his hands were no longer folded.

 

All of a sudden, the little bird flew from Sehun's shoulder to flap its wings in Luhan's face. Luhan's hands came up to protect his face from the angry attacks. He even made gentle pushes at the bird to get it away from him. Sehun could only stare at the flurry of movement and wonder what the hell was going on.

 

"I know! I know!" Luhan whined. "But I had to!" The bird let Luhan be after a few more seconds of angry screeching. Then it returned to Sehun's shoulder, rather fluffed after the display.

 

"What was that all about?" Sehun asked, looking at the little bird. It looked back at him and then scooted up his shoulder so it could nuzzle it's head against his cheek. These actions didn't strike Sehun as birdlike at all. It was only serving to confuse him more.

 

"Can't you tell?" Luhan asked, lowering his hands from his face. "Wait, you were never great at sensing magic."

 

"Magic?" Sehun said aloud. "What are you talking about? It's a bird."

 

Luhan shook his head. "No, Sehun. It's not." Then he pointed to the pool. "Take a look for yourself."

 

Confused, Sehun leaned forward to look in the pool. He gasped when he looked down and saw two figures reflected back at him. One was himself. The other was a woman, and he recognized her in an instant.

 

In his reflection, he saw Taeyeon, delicate hands resting around his shoulders. But when he checked his shoulder, all that was there was the little bird. He looked back at his reflection. She was still there. Tears sprang to his eyes quicker than he could ask what was going on.

 

"It's me, little brother," she said, her voice faint but there. "And look what you've done yourself..." She was smiling at him, but she sounded sad. The bird on his shoulder echoed her with a sad little tweet.

 

"I miss you, Tae," he whispered, his voice watery with tears yet to fall.

 

"If you do, why do you never talk to me?" she asked. Sehun's brow furrowed, but he didn't get a chance to question her. "When your prayers come, they sound sarcastic and sad."

 

It clicked.

 

"I..." he began, uncertain of how to respond. 

 

"You don't believe, do you?" she asked. Sehun shook his head. Then he laughed once, a sad sound that still made Sehun think of nightingales. "Do you believe now that I've come to visit?"

 

Sehun didn’t know how to answer. "Maybe more than I did," he muttered. Then he shook his head of doubts of existence. There was no room to ignore the gods' existence when a dead person was having a conversation with him. The problem now was different when he thought of the gods. "But it feels like they have abandoned me. How can I believe in that? I only know disappointment when I pray to them."

 

"The gods have not abandoned you, Sehun," Taeyeon said. "There is a plan for you and it is already in motion. Believe in them. Believe in Luhan."

 

"He's even worse!" Sehun exclaimed, a laugh making its way into his tight voice. "He says he's going to make me a king."

 

"And he will!" Taeyeon laughed. "He will. You'll see!"

 

"Not you, too!" Sehun whined. "I'm not a king."

 

Taeyeon gave Sehun a sad smile. She didn't speak for a few moments, and Sehun took the opportunity to lean down closer to the water. Finally, she opened her mouth again to speak.

 

"I'm sorry for the way my son is treating you," she said. "If I had been a better mother, none of this would have happened."

 

"You did nothing wrong in raising him," Sehun assured her.

 

"I wasn't there as much as I wanted to be," she told him. "He has always had anger in him and it is my fault. Now he's using that anger on you."

 

"Anything Baekhyun is doing to me was something I consented to," Sehun insisted. Luhan cast a look of concern in Sehun's direction, but he did not say anything.

 

"No, I don't think it was," Taeyeon replied. "He knows better than this. He knows better than to take advantage of someone like this. You don't tell him he can do the things he does. He doesn't ask. Why don't you tell him no? Doesn't it hurt?"

 

"Sometimes..." Sehun admitted. "But I don't feel like I have a right to deny him..."

 

"You couldn't be more wrong," she said, the sadness in her voice more palpable. "But, I can't stop you. All I can give you now is this piece of advice: if you ever want to make it hurt less, tell him I knew everything. Tell him I knew his favorite animal was a flying squirrel and that he always wanted a dog. Tell him I knew he liked daisies, but his favorites were sunflowers. His favorite color is the summer sky and he loves sunstones like i did. And tell him I loved him too much to involve him in this mess. That might tell him I'm still here. I never abandoned him and I'll love him for eternity, because that's what a mother does."

 

Staring down at her reflection next to his, Sehun could only offer her a sad smile. With gratitude, he tucked the information away in the back of his memory. “If I should ever want such a thing, I’ll tell him that,” he said. “I promise.” Then he paused, thinking of something that made his smile the tiniest bit more genuine. "Though I may not have to."

 

"And why is that?" Taeyeon questioned.

 

"I'm sure you've seen it," Sehun commented. "His anger was insatiable when this began. Now, though it is still very prominent, it has an end. I allow him to do everything he wants because I want to serve his anger; let him burn it and mourn. When that anger burns out, I'll feel better, too."

 

She huff and give up for the time being. But that didn't mean she didn't still had things to say.

 

“I do not like that contract you signed," she told him, her tone clipped and stern. "But to Luhan’s credit, it has halted your suicidal thoughts and for that I am grateful. But I don’t want you feeling guilty anymore. The choice I made was my own and I made it because I love you and wanted you to have a good life. I would have made that choice with or without your consent and I would do it again if I could try again.”

 

Sehun listened, but even hearing the words straight from Taeyeon’s mouth did not make him feel any better. “This sentence is my choice to endure,” Sehun explained to her. “I did not get choices often growing up. You took another one from me. So give me this year to grieve and allow me to follow this guilt until its end. I promise to live a full, happy life after that.”

 

“You make many promises to people, Sehun,” she said with a sigh. “I hope you can live up to them all.”

 

“I can,” Sehun assured her, even putting a little cheer into his voice. But as soon as the bright tone appeared, it disappeared soon after. "I can," he repeated, more solemn.

 

“Then promise me you’ll learn to love yourself again during this year,” she returned. “Promise me that, and I’ll allow this contract to continue with my blessing. There will be no interference from the heavens.”

 

“I promise you,” Sehun whispered, knowing exactly where this was coming from. “I will learn to love myself again. Every part of me; physical, mental, and magical.”

 

“Thank you,” she said. “Now I must go. I have already stayed too long.”

 

“Wait!” Sehun shouted, leaning closer to the reflection. “What of my mother? And my father?”

 

But Taeyeon laughed and her reflection kissed his cheek. “All in good time, Sehun.” And then the little bird was flying from his shoulder and her reflection was gone.

 

Sehun still looked into the now empty pool, staring at where her reflection had been. Then he looked up at Luhan with wide eyes.

 

“I'm not dreaming, right?" he questioned aloud. "I didn't imagine that. She was there, right?” Luhan smiled at him and nodded.

 

“She heard your prayer and was able to get permission to respond to you,” Luhan said, a hand on his shoulder. “I cannot promise this will happen often. I can't even promise this will ever happen again. But if you wish to see the people you care for, you must pray and be earnest in your prayers. She may appear again without a prayer, but you may not realize it. Even if you did realize it was her, without water, you won't be able to communicate.”

 

“Is something like this why you bring me to pray with you every morning?” he asked.

 

Luhan nodded, opening his mouth to explain. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up, and you may not have believed me if I said anything anyway, but the gods are not heartless. Sometimes it feels like they have forsaken us, but it is only because things take time. Their plan to save you in the way you need saving has to go through a number of careful steps to reach you. For those on this earth that have especially hard lives, the gods grant them special gifts. But only the believers ever know they have access to these gifts. They are the only ones who go to these shrines and temples.”

 

“So I only have a chance to see them if I pray every day?” Sehun questioned.

 

“A chance,” Luhan confirmed. “A small one. But it is something, is it not?”

 

Sehun contemplated this new knowledge for a few moments. He didn’t answer Luhan’s most likely rhetorical question.

 

“So will you come to pray with me every day?” Luhan asked when the silence grew too wide between them.

 

Sehun snapped out of his thoughts and nodded before he realized what he was doing. “I’ll come with you,” he said answered. It wasn’t like he had a choice anyway. Luhan made it a command every morning. It would be on a much more voluntary basis now. He wouldn’t dread mornings so much anymore.

 

“Good," Luhan breathed, gettign up from his sitting position. "Now let’s get back. Everyone will be wondering where you are with breakfast by this point.”

 

Sehun nodded his agreement and they started the short walk back. On the way in, they stopped at the dining hall and got some food. Sehun carried all of it like a good boy back to their room. Upon entering, Yixing and Baekhyun looked up at the two of them.

 

“Where the hell have you been?” Baekhyun whined. “I’m hungry.” He reached with grabby hands towards the food and Sehun brought it to him with an obliging smile.

 

“Morning prayer,” Luhan said by way of an explanation. “You should start joining us, Baekhyun.”

 

Baekhyun paid him no mind and dug into his food, looking Sehun up and down as he handed a bowl to Yixing next.

 

"So everyone knows," Baekhyun muttered through a mouthful, "we're expected at work early. Need to learn what the boss' expectations are."

 

"How early?" Yixing asked, having the courtesy to swallow before speaking. It wasn't until that moment that he realized how formal Yixing was. He always sat proper and had delicate table manners. His speech was even soft and polite unless he grew irritated or angry. But in addition to that, he always kept his head held high like he was trying to teach Sehun to do.

 

While realizing this, Sehun wondered where Yixing himself had picked it up from. Had he learned from someone? Was it voluntary learning? If it had not been, that would explain Yixing's aversion to slaves. Most people tended to see slaves as a common thing in life, but Yixing hated it so much. But he had a master, and it was clear he was fond of him. All the same, he might have high standards for Yixing. Sehun didn't know if he would ever ask about such things, but it gave him something to think about. 

 

Sehun had tuned out the rest of the conversation going on amongst the group. He kept an eye on the last unfinished bowl of food in Yixing's hands and waited. Once he put his bowl down, Sehun could have his first full meal in days. Sehun's stomach growled in protest at the wait, but Sehun didn't make any verbal complaint.

 

It seemed intentional when Yixing's bowl became empty very soon after. Sehun smiled up at him and had to restrain himself from scarfing his food down. Luhan no doubt expected him to eat with the manners he had been teaching him. Sehun ate with a happy smile on his face.

 

When he finished, a budding habit told him to start looking for something to do. But as soon as he picked up some parchment to practice his letters, he remembered and felt a little lost. What was he supposed to do while he waited for work to start?

 

"Is something wrong, Sehun?"

 

Sehun turned his head to look at Luhan. There was curiosity in his eyes. Sehun wasn't embarrassed, but he didn't know how to voice his concern.

 

"Do you need something to do?" Luhan pressed.

 

Sehun nodded, almost forgetting some kind of verbal response. "Yes."

 

"Then can you do something for me?" Luhan asked.

 

Again, Sehun nodded. "Yes."

 

"Could you go buy me some soaps from the market?" Luhan said. "I saw a stall near the center square. They were two silver pieces each. Buy four."

 

Then Luhan went to reach into one of their bags, pulling out their money. He counted out eight silver pieces and handed them to Sehun.

 

"Don't dawdle too much," was Luhan's gentle warning.

 

"I'll go with him," Baekhyun huffed, getting up from his seated position. "I need a new book."

 

"Fine," Luhan hummed, his face stiffening a little. He handed over a few gold pieces to him in case he bought more than one. Sehun grew a little stiff as well, uncertain that Baekhyun was following him for a book.

 

"We'll be back soon," Baekhyun told Yixing and Luhan. Then he gripped Sehun's elbow and pulled him out of the room. The grip wasn't harsh but more guiding. It still put Sehun on edge as they left the room and moved down the stairs.

 

Once outside, Baekhyun drags him in the general direction of the market. But they don't immediately head towards the square. Instead, Baekhyun picks a random alleyway and drags Sehun into it, making a couple turns in the maze of walls. They reach a dead end somewhere after turn five and Baekhyun turns back to him.

 

"I didn't want to do this in a closed room because it was dangerous," Baekhyun commented. "Your control is shit, but Chanyeol gave you a task. Pull out your dagger."

 

Sehun blinked in confusion and did as told, pulling the dagger from his belt. He unsheathed it and kept the blade aimed towards the ground.

 

"Chanyeol was going to teach you to do this," Baekhyun grumbled. "But it's easier to teach you to focus your energy if you know what you're trying to accomplish."

 

"Why did he want me to learn this?" Sehun asked.

 

"I'm getting there!" Baekhyun snapped, a slight frown marring his face. Sehun snapped his mouth shut and apologized through his eyes. Baekhyun huffed. "I'm going to teach you to infuse your weapon with power."

 

Then he snatched the little dagger from Sehun and held it in front of himself, aiming the blade at Sehun. He looked relaxed and for a moment, Sehun stood confused. Then the blade lit up with a yellow light and Sehun's eyes widened.

 

"Get close to it, but don't touch," Baekhyun instructed. "You'll feel the heat." Sehun did so, holding a hand out to feel the heat radiating from the blade. "This is what Chanyeol wants you to learn. We're going to start with focusing on the tip of the blade. This is how you weaponize your powers." Then he let the light die and the blade returned to normal. He handed it back to Sehun. "Stare at the spot you want to direct your power to. When you master this, you won't need to stare at it anymore, but this is the beginner step."

 

Sehun nodded and took the blade in his hands. He held it out in front of himself, uncertain. He focused all his attention on the point of the blade.

 

"Now introduce the magic," Baekhyun continued. "Direct it to that one spot. If you lose concentration, it won't work or your power will go elsewhere."

 

Sehun tried to breathe while he tried to figure out how this all worked. He picked the sunlight cloud to call from since that was what Baekhyun knew best. If Sehun could get the idea from this, then he might be able to replicate it with his other powers.

 

He tried to ask the cloud to let out a tiny stream of power, flowing through his hands to the blade. But as soon as the magic left his fingers, the dagger flew from his hand and into a nearby wooden crate. Baekhyun jumped in fright and went to grab the blade with a scowl. When he came back to Sehun, he gripped his face.

 

"Why do you want to use these powers again?" he questioned, dagger at his side. "Answer me."

 

"To protect people I care about..." Sehun answered.

 

"Then don't think too hard about the task," Baekhyun told him. "Think about why you're doing it in addition to the steps needed to perform the act." When he handed the blade back to Sehun, he let go of his face. Sehun breathed a little easier. "This is your last try for now. We don't have a lot of time." Then he tilted his head and smirked. "If you can do it and hold it for three seconds, I'll suck you off."

 

Sehun's cheeks flared a bright red at that. He gulped down the spit in his mouth and Baekhyun backed away to let Sehun try again. Sehun gripped the knife tighter this time and tried to focus his energy. But he also kept his friends in his mind, allowing his power to remain focused but not too powerful.

 

As Baekhyun had said, dividing his thoughts as such was a help. He watched as the tip of the blade lit up with a dull yellow light. Sehun let out a breath but didn't let go of the power yet.

 

"That's it," Baekhyun breathed. "Try expanding to the whole blade."

 

Sehun was already working on it. He moved his focus to the whole blade rather than the tip of it and the glow started to spread. He had already gone halfway down the blade when he realized he was well past the three second mark. In an instant, his mind went other places and his focus failed. The blade lit up, but so did the handle where Sehun was holding.

 

He yelped and dropped the blade to the ground. It dimmed to its normal color and cooled in the dirt while Sehun blew on his burned hand to sooth the sting.

 

"You lost concentration," Baekhyun groused. But he gripped Sehun's shoulder and pushed him to sit down on one of the crates in the alley. "But a promise is a promise."

 

Sehun stared, lips parted in slight shock as Baekhyun sank to his knees between Sehun's legs. He was unable to say anything as Baekhyun pulled his pants down and palmed him to wake him up. Sehun wanted to say he didn't need it, but at the same time, this was praise. Baekhyun was praising him for a job well done and Sehun felt warm when thinking of that.

 

As a mouth came to his cock, Sehun could only stabilize himself with a tight grip on the edge of the crate. It was natural for his legs to spread farther apart to make room for Baekhyun. He squeezed his eyes shut tight while Baekhyun's expert tongue worked him over. Before long, he was a panting mess of need.

 

He wanted to touch. He wanted to thrust. He wanted to take control. But he didn't know if that was part of the deal. He didn't know if Baekhyun would allow any of that. So Sehun only allowed himself to moan and shift and throw his head back when it felt too good. He was getting close and he needed to come. Baekhyun seemed to sense this and pulled off for a moment, letting his hand take over for a few moments.

 

"This is a reward," he purred, his lips looking swollen and his eyes glazed with lust and mischief. "Go ahead and come when you need to." Then his mouth was back to work, massaging Sehun from base to tip.

 

With that permission granted, Sehun reached his peak soon after. He let out a loud moan and spilled down Baekhyun's throat as the satisfaction welled up in him. It had been a while since he felt that with Baekhyun. There had been too much anger and hurt between them to feel anything else recently.

 

Now, as Baekhyun cleaned him up with kittenish licks, Sehun almost smiled. They weren't normal, but Sehun could feel some of his initial fondness for Baekhyun return to him. It was a trickle; a pond compared to the sea it had once been, but it was there. There was plenty to work on, but he could see Baekhyun's anger fading and that was all Sehun wanted.

 

When Baekhyun finished, giving Sehun's head one last suck, he tucked Sehun back in his pants and rose to his feet.

 

"Let's get Luhan his damn soaps," Baekhyun grunted, wiping his lip clean with a swipe of his thumb. "We're running out of time before we have to be at work."

 

Sehun nodded and shook off the haze of sex before getting up from his seated position. He followed Baekhyun back out of the alleyway and didn't forget to pick up dagger on the way out. Their stop for soaps didn't take long. It was book shopping that took longer. Baekhyun was a picky reader and the shop didn't have much of a selection.

 

By the time they returned to the inn, Luhan and Yixing were about to leave for the tavern. Baekhyun dropped off his new book and Sehun presented the soaps to Luhan with a small smile. He was still glowing from the praise earlier. He felt even more satisfied when Luhan thanked him and told him he had done well.

 

Going to work required some minor explanation to the boss about Sehun's situation. All his tips and wages were to go straight to Yixing for safekeeping. He wasn't to wear shoes either, but that didn't seem to bother the tavern owner. He shrugged and they moved on with training.

 

By the time dinner rolled around, they were all running their own tables. It was a hectic night, it seemed, and there were people everywhere. One or two made a comment about Sehun being the boy from yesterday. He tried to smile it away and serve them their food and drinks.

 

At the end of the night, Sehun’s tips were in Yixing's pockets. As soon as he finished cleaning the last table, he allowed himself a moment to breathe. The tavern owner came over and handed each of them their day’s wages in small pouches. He handed two to Yixing, one for his work and the other for Sehun’s.

 

“It’s hot in here," Sehun breathed, fanning himself. "I’m going to cool off outside.” He said it only loud enough for them to hear him. It was not looked down on for him to have a few moments away as long as he maintained all the rules. He took a step outside and leaned against the wall to take in some of the fresh, cool air. It was dark now, but the sun's warmth still lingered in the air. That was when a stranger approached him.

 

Sehun noticed him before he said anything. He was a tall man, as tall as Chanyeol, and well dressed. He reminded Sehun a little of Master Lee but younger and without the beard.

 

“Hey kid,” he greeted. “I couldn’t help but notice your clothing is a bit ratty. Could you use some new ones?” Sehun side eyed him and wondered if this man was getting at what he thought he was getting at.

 

“I could use new clothes,” he confirmed. “But I don’t think my masters would let me keep them.”

 

“Oh, so you’re a slave boy,” the man hummed.

 

“Yes,” Sehun responded.

 

“Then I’d like to speak to your current owners.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Sehun agreed. This man was younger than most that came his way, but he was still in his early thirties at the youngest. He wasn’t half bad looking either. “My masters have some specific rules they have set for me. I would like to ask why you need to speak with them in case your topic falls under the same ceiling as their rules.”

 

“Very well,” the man said with a smirk. “I wish to steal you for a little while to have a little fun. I would of course pay them for your services.”

 

Sehun nodded, thinking of the money. That was the only reason he would agree to this. They weren't running low, but he was still worried about the cost of a gift and their supplies.

 

“Then come with me, please,” he said, keeping his tone polite as he led the man inside the tavern. “I must ask them, and if they approve, at least one of them will be there to watch. Will that be all right?”

 

“An audience is fine with me, darling,” the man purred. Sehun shivered and walked up to his three friends. He didn't like the pet name, but he didn't say as much.

 

Luhan was the first to look up and see the man standing behind Sehun. “What is it, Sehun?” he asked. "Who is this?" Yixing and Baekhyun then turned their heads to him as well.

 

Sehun flushed and made his announcement. “This man has asked for my time and has offered to pay for my services," he explained. "What would you like me to do?”

 

Luhan looked to be about to say something, but Yixing beat him to it. “Do you wish to take him up on the offer?” he asked, arms crossed as he stared Sehun in the eye. Sehun gulped and almost wasn't able to return the gaze. But he straightened up and tried to sound confident.

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

Luhan went so still that Sehun wondered if he was remembering to breathe. Baekhyun smirked as if he had known even before Sehun did. The fondness Sehun felt retreated again, once more not knowing what to think of Baekhyun. Yixing’s face remained passive while he turned to direct his gaze at the interested man.

 

“And how much are you willing to pay for his service?” Yixing asked. “Give us a number.”

 

“I am offering thirty-five gold pieces for some time with him,” the man answered. He seemed confident that he was being neither stingy nor superfluous with this price. Sehun tended to agree.

 

Baekhyun spoke up next and what Sehun heard horrified him. “Add another ten and you can breed him.” He had known Baekhyun was aware of his existence back when he started his life making money off sex. But he hadn’t known Baekhyun knew his signature line; his gimmick for anything extra out of one go.

 

“Sold,” the man said, holding out a hand for a shake from any of them to seal the deal. “Forty-five gold pieces. When can I take him? He has warned me that one of you will be attending with us.” Yixing stood and took the man’s hand in a firm, though purely formal shake.

 

“You may take him now,” he said in a soft, controlled voice. It was as if he were indifferent to the situation. Sehun couldn’t help but feel like a piece of meat. “I will be the one to watch you.”

 

It was strange to see Yixing act this way. After all the subtle attempts to get Sehun to stop, he was being an enabler. But the look on Yixing's face told him he was not pleased in the slightest. In fact, he looked disappointed every time he looked at Sehun.

 

Still, Sehun convinced himself that this was the best case scenario. Baekhyun would have enjoyed this too much and likely made it worse. If Luhan had been watching, he might make it worse for a completely different reason. He would hate watching Sehun perform these acts for money. He would look sad again and Sehun couldn’t bear that. Yixing might be neutral enough that it would bother Sehun a little, but not too much. Though, based on the time Yixing walked in on him and Baekhyun, Sehun wasn't sure he would find release.

 

The only few rules that they had recieved a quick explanation for the man as they went up to his room at his inn. Despite being a slave, Sehun was not to have a hand raised to him. He would also not force Sehun to tend to a fetish if he did not wish to. Other than that, Sehun would obey without question.

 

Once in the room, Yixing took a chair and sat to the side, facing the bed. He would have an unobstructed view of every action Sehun performed from there. The man deposited a sack of forty-five coins in Yixing’s palm before he went to Sehun and they began.

 

Stripping in front of others had been normal since his time with Sir Choi. It changed a little back when he and Baekhyun had been close. They were friends and stripping in that manner had not been comfortable at first. Baekhyun had teased that embarrassment out of him quite early. But this was different, and he felt embarrassed in front of Yixing.

 

It was worse when he laid down and the man crawled over him, naked. Sehun cast worried glances over at Yixing with every change. He glanced once when the man caged him in with his arms. Then he glanced over again when fingers made their way into his ass. Yixing hadn't moved, hadn't said a word, but Sehun felt humiliated as the man coaxed his legs open.

 

The worst humiliation came with penetration. He looked over at Yixing again as he winced and groaned from the intrusion. The man hadn't taken much time to prep him, wanting to feel the tight squeeze. All Sehun felt was the pained stretch. All Yixing did was watch.

 

Every thrust into his body had Sehun realizing that control was not his anymore. This was the last bit of privacy that the contract afforded him. At least when Baekhyun fucked with him, he made sure the others were out. But now, one of his friends, one of his masters, took that privacy away from him as well. All Sehun wanted was to earn a little extra money.

 

To Yixing’s credit, he kept quiet. He did not draw attention to himself and kept his arms folded. Yixing did not taunt Sehun with salacious words and he did not condemn his actions either. He just sat there, said nothing and did nothing. But his mere presence caused anxiety to well up in Sehun.

 

He was starting to learn the tricks to going to the quiet safe place. When he didn't want to be somewhere, he only needed to think of other things until the world faded away. He let it happen to him now. There was no inn. There was no Yixing. There was no man on top of him. There was no money to earn. No life to live. He could float away into the abyss of his mind.

 

But the man had other plans for Sehun. He let him stay up there for a while, fucking his pliant body in search of his own satisfaction. But when the man's hips grew erratic, he gripped Sehun by the hair and pulled until Sehun's neck made a pretty arch.

 

"Come back here, boy," he hissed into Sehun's ear. "You can't escape this." Sehun whimpered as the words dragged him from his safe space and he returned to the real world. His cock was stiff between his legs, but it was only reacting to all the stimulation. Sehun didn't feel close at all. He only felt dull pain as the man kept going. Instead of praying for more, he was praying for it to end.

 

As if someone had heard that prayer, the man’s various noises of pleasure got louder. His hips grew even less rhythmic until finally they stopped. Sehun shut his eyes tight because he didn’t want to look at Yixing as he felt the man’s release spread deep inside of him. Even then, the man didn't remove himself from Sehun. He stayed there, keeping Sehun full while he caught his breath.

 

"Hm," the man hummed, running a hand down Sehun's body. Sehun shivered and didn't dare look at him. "I'd like to do that again. A bitch like you takes well to breeding. Perhaps you could give me offspring." Then he laughed, thinking his own joke quite hilarious. Sehun flushed a bright red with the humiliating comments and bit his lip to keep it from trembling.

 

"You have finished," Yixing said, finally speaking for the first time. "Now get off him and leave."

 

The man seemed to contemplate this for a moment before agreeing; pulling out of Sehun and letting go. Sehun finally relaxed when the man was climbing off the bed. He could hear the man dressing himself, but Sehun still didn't open his eyes.

 

Sehun waited for the door to click shut before he opened his eyes again. He was still trying to calm himself even when the man was gone. He stared up at the ceiling while his breath came too fast and he was trying not to cry. That had been far more humiliating than he had expected, and he was not sure he could handle doing it again.

 

After a few minutes, his breathing as well as his painful erection had calmed. He felt much more present and turned to look at Yixing. He didn't expect the sight of Yixing standing over him, dangling the sack of coins in front of his eyes. Had he been out of it so much that he hadn't noticed Yixing move?

 

“Are you satisfied?” Yixing asked. Sehun didn’t have words to answer. “Is this still what you think you are worth? Because there are those among us that think you are wrong. Even Baekhyun knows, though he pretends not to see.”

 

Finally breaking, Sehun let the first tears stain his cheeks.

 

“I try to let you make your own decisions as much as this stupid contract allows you to,” Yixing continued. “I have tried not to influence your decisions since I revealed my human presence to you. I made the decision to allow you to do this because I knew you would take the offer. I knew it and I knew I would get this moment alone with you. It’s a damn good thing I did.”

 

Sehun was full on sobbing, listening, because words would fail him anyway.

 

“I noticed how my being here affected you,” Yixing continued. “I noticed you look over at me with worry, trying to figure out if I was judging you or if I really was going to watch. I did watch, and it was painful to not tell that man to get off of you, give his money back, and take you to get something to eat. Can you imagine how you would have felt if anyone else had been the one sitting where I was? Can you imagine it?”

 

Sehun shook his head, a violent tremble on his lips. His legs shifted with discomfort as the man's come dribbled out of his hole. He wanted to hide. He wanted to sink through the floor. He wanted to die. But he couldn't.

 

“Chanyeol would have been like me, but he would have been far more horrified to watch you reduce yourself to this. Baekhyun would have made this a million times worse. He would have made comments and encouraged the man above you. He might even have volunteered to help, but deep down, he would be ruining himself just as much as he was ruining you. And Luhan…” Yixing swallowed before continuing. “You would have broken Luhan’s heart if he had had to watch that.”

 

Guilt. That was what he felt. So much guilt. But it was not the same guilt that had driven him to accept the contract. It was almost worse than that and he couldn’t look at Yixing anymore. He rolled over onto his side and muffled his broken sobs with the sheets.

 

“If you care for Luhan at all,” Yixing growled, "you won't do this ever again." His voice was only loud enough for Sehun to hear over his cries. "I don’t think you realize how much he cares for you. And we are not so desperate for money that we have to sacrifice you to get it.” Then his voice softened and Sehun felt the dip in the bed as Yixing sat beside him, stroking his back. “If you want to bring in more money for the group, get a second job that respects you. You and I can do one together.”

 

“And where would we find one that respects us?” Sehun shot back, voice watery with tears. “Being a messenger is how this all started. Being a server in a tavern puts me in front of hundreds of different people a day. That’s all I know how to do!”

 

“You have that book,” Yixing reminded him. “The encyclopedia of plants. You couldn’t use it to be a doctor, but it has other uses. Start learning about flowers. I’m sure there’s a flower shop that would take us. And the great thing is that many people who go into flower shops buy for the people they care about. It reduces the risk that they will come looking for someone to bed.”

 

Sehun didn’t have high hopes, but with great reluctance, he nodded his head. He could deal with flowers. He could try. It would be better to let this part of his life go if he could get himself to. With the nod, Yixing pulled Sehun up into a sitting position and wiped the tears from his face. A small, relieved smile graced his lips.

 

“It's time we should return to our room,” he said to Sehun. “For now, let’s get you cleaned up. We can see about another job tomorrow morning.” Sehun nodded again.

 

Yixing had Sehun lay flat on the bed with his knees apart. Since Sehun had already had a full bath only yesterday, Yixing would only used a cloth to clean him. The healer's main concern was signs of trauma to the body anyway. If any, it would have come from the careless stretch and penetration. Sehun was less embarrassed by this since Yixing acted as the closest thing to a doctor that Sehun had. He had treated all Sehun’s cuts and scrapes and even took care of his finger the time he sliced it open. Spreading his legs for Yixing was like having another exam. Sehun had learned not to be embarrassed because all Yixing cared about was his health.

 

Once he was open, Yixing took a damp towel and cleaned the release from his thighs and crack. Before long, there was little evidence that anyone had been there at all. That was a little embarrassing, but he hoped Yixing wouldn’t have to do this again.

 

When Yixing finished cleaning him, he cleared Sehun of any tearing. Then he advised Sehun to watch for certain things such as rashes. Sehun had been lucky so far in that department. When YIxing allowed him to close his legs, he breathed a sigh of relief and Yixing handed him his clothes.

 

“Get dressed,” Yixing said. “We’ll leave when you are ready.”

 

It only took a moment for Sehun to get dressed again. He felt better now that he was decent and he felt safe again. They left the room and went back down to the street where Yixing took the lead. Sehun followed like a lost puppy, trusting Yixing to take care of him. Tomorrow they would look for a new job, and Sehun hoped Yixing was right.


	15. Chapter 15

The next day, Yixing took Sehun out to look for a job. He made a point of keeping Sehun away from certain areas of the city, likely places akin to a red-light district. It only took them a few hours to find what they were looking for.

 

They ended up in front of a small building towards the edge of town. Carts piled high with many kinds of flowers sat out front. They were beautiful, and Sehun found himself fiddling with the delicate petals of a few of them.

 

A woman came out of the store as they were about to go inside. She had an empty crate in her arms and looked up at them with a kind smile. The recognition that passed through them all was a surprise. She laughed first and set her things down to give them a proper greeting.

 

“Hello, boys,” she said, giving the two of them a small, polite curtsy. "It's good to see you in better shape, Sehun."

 

Sehun returned the curtsy with a bow, lower than a simple dip of the head to indicate his status. "Thank you, miss," Sehun breathed. He flushed with embarrassment at the memory of how he looked the last time he saw her. She was the woman from the pillory who had written his sins down for the people to judge. Why was she working in a flower shop?

 

She turned her attention to Yixing with a sweet smile. "And you were one of his masters, correct?"

 

"Yes," Yixing grunted. She seemed to catch on that it was not something he was proud to state. She moved on, picking the crate back up to take to the cart. She plucked bundles of flowers from the carts and placed them into the crate with car.

 

“How can I help you gentlemen?” she asked. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

 

“We have come to ask for a job,” Yixing spoke. Sehun nodded in agreement. “And it would seem you could use a little extra help.” He indicated the full carts of flowers and her single crate in her hands.

 

“Indeed, I could,” the woman agreed with a small laugh as she hoisted the now full crate. “Could one of you get the door, please?” Sehun immediately went to get the door for her. In the past couple of months, he had grown used to things such as “could you pass me my waterskin” being orders. She thanked him and took the crate inside where she started to sort the flowers. “I can give you two jobs, but you must be careful when dealing with my flowers,” she said, a gentle warning in her voice. “Some are very delicate and are quick to break at any mistreatment. Others need exceptional care to make the blooms last longer.”

 

“I understand, ma’am,” Yixing said with a small smile. Then he nudged Sehun forward with a gentle hand on his lower back. “Sehun has a book that we can consult on plants. We have been using it to identify berries and medicinal herbs, but it has flowers and their care in it as well.”

 

She smiled at Sehun, taking in his skinny and ragged appearance as if looking for something. Her eyes dropped lower and lower down his frame until they landed on his feet, still lacking shoes.

 

“Do you like flowers, Sehun?” she asked him, redirecting her gaze to his face.

 

Sehun nodded. “Yes, miss.”

 

“And does this book of yours tell you meanings of specific flowers?” she asked.

 

“Yes, miss,” Sehun repeated, another nod of the head. She turned to Yixing with a raised brow.

 

“Is he a true slave or indentured?” she asked.

 

“Indentured until next year," Yixing grunted.

 

“And he was not given shoes?”

 

“His contract states he is not permitted more than the essential,” Yixing responded. “If it were to snow right now, I would have to get his shoes for him. But until then, he is not allowed to wear any.”

 

“I deem it essential in my shop,” she told him. “I don’t want him stepping on a pair of sheers or stumbling into a bed of thorns and having no protection on his feet.”

 

“Then I will grant him shoes if you allow him to work here,” Yixing agreed with a nod. "It shouldn't be an issue with his other masters either."

 

She seemed to mull over the pair for a few moments, wondering if there was anything else she needed to ask. But when she came up with nothing else to discuss, she nodded her head.

 

“I'll hire you two," she agreed. "Meet me here tomorrow morning at dawn. Your work begins then.”

 

“Dawn…?” Sehun repeated, his brow furrowing and a frown coming to his lips. She looked at him with a slight frown of her own.

 

“Is there something wrong with the early hour?” she questioned. Yixing was quick to explain for him.

 

“Another master of his has him go for prayer every morning at dawn,” Yixing told her.

 

“Then tell his other master to take him before dawn,” she told him. “Right before the sun rises is when flowers are best picked, and I need all the help I can get.”

 

“I will speak to him," Yixing assured her. "We will be here on time.”

 

“Then I’ll see the two of you tomorrow," she said, smiling. "You may call me Ms. Younha. Please work hard for me.”

 

\-----

 

Returning to their room was uneventful. Luhan looked up when they returned and smiled when he noted that Sehun appeared to be happier.

 

“Did it go well?” Luhan asked. Yixing had filled him in on their search the night before. He had told Baekhyun as well, but he didn't seem to care. Luhan wasn't pleased with Sehun finding a second job again, but Yixing had explained. Sehun found that Yixing knew how to articulate Sehun's thoughts better than himself.

 

“We got a job at the flower shop,” Sehun answered, smiling down at the smaller boy. 

 

Luhan blinked at him once, allowing a small smile to come to his face. "Is your boss nice?”

 

Sehun nodded his head. "She's the same woman who was at the pillory," he told Luhan, keeping his voice soft. He was a little excited and he didn't want Luhan to have to remind him to keep his voice down. "She was also nice then." Then he leaned back as if thinking of something. "Explains why she had a pocket full of rose petals, too."

 

Luhan couldn't hold back his little laugh at that realization and took Sehun's hand. "And you're sure you'll be okay with a second job?" he asked. "You won't complain between the two jobs and your other duties?"

 

Sehun shook his head. "I'll be fine," he promised. "I won't complain. I wanted to earn more money for the group."

 

Luhan sighed, but he didn't rebel against the wish as much as he had back in the capitol. Sehun suspected that was because the job was more innocent in nature. He didn't say so aloud.

 

"There's one requirement she listed for his hire," Yixing said, interrupting the moment. Luhan looked at him with a furrowed brow, sending Yixing a silent question. “She requires him to have shoes for the work.”

 

“He can remove them when he takes rest breaks,” Baekhyun said, looking up from the book he had purchased the prior day. He had been silent until now, but Sehun knew he had been listening. “I agree that working in a flower shop without shoes could be potentially hazardous.”

 

There was silence for a moment before Luhan broke it again. “Well,” he breathed, not sure how to respond. “When do you start?”

 

“At dawn,” Sehun answered. "She said that was the best time to cut the flowers." Then he paused and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. He bit his lip as well before he continued. “I know it conflicts with our prayer. So, could we pray a little earlier?”

 

Luhan’s eyes widened only a fraction and he looked to Yixing for confirmation of what Sehun had given him. When he turned back to Sehun, he nodded. “Of course. I’ll wake you a little earlier. Thank you for letting me know.”

 

Sehun nodded. Then he looked down, continuing to fiddle with the hem of his shirt. He was a little worried about asking for something. “May… May I have the plant encyclopedia?” he asked. “I would like to study the flowers in it for as long as I have free time today.”

 

Baekhyun looked up and exchanged a short glance with Yixing and Luhan before nodding. Luhan turned back to Sehun. “You may, but do not neglect your duties to us.”

 

“I won’t.”

 

\-----

 

Over the next week and a half, Sehun had good days and bad. His good days involved lots of time at the flower shop, learning from Ms. Younha. He soaked up the names of each flower and their uses and meanings in a bouquet. He and Yixing learned to care for many different blossoms and helped to sell flowers at the front. Ms. Younha pointed out the customers who were in often and why. There were a few that came in all the time for flowers for too many girls. Yixing dealt with these people so Sehun didn't have to worry about them. There were customers that liked to spoil their spouses. Ms. Younha gave them the better picked flowers. They were all fall flowers and they were all beautiful to Sehun.

 

Other good things that happened included getting proud looks from Luhan all week. After the first time, others approached him a few times seeking to bed him. Every time he got such a proposition, he would bring them to the attention of his masters. Sometimes they wouldn’t give him a choice and they would tell him to turn down the offer with polite grace. Other times, they extended the decision to him.

 

The first time he said he did not wish to take up the offer, he couldn’t deny how good it made him feel. The way that Luhan smiled helped, too, and made his stomach do somersaults and his heart beat a little faster. That reaction made it easier for Sehun to refuse future propositions as well. He wasn't approached every day and never more than once a day. He wasn't even allowed the opportunity to make his own choice every time. But when got the chance he liked the pride in Luhan's eyes when Sehun said no.

 

For the first time in a long time, Sehun didn't feel the need to find worth from anyone else. All he wanted was Luhan's approval. He craved it and he did anything he could to get that approval. That didn't mean he was perfect. He slipped up sometimes and earned displeased frowns, but they were not as numerous.

 

The flower shop did prove a less obvious place for him to be sought after by horny men. Yixing had been right and Sehun was able to work without much worry. Wearing shoes again was strange after the period of time he had spent not wearing any. But Ms. Younha hadn't deemed them necessary, he would have felt uncomfortable. It almost felt like shoes was even a punishment on its own because putting them back on felt so wrong.

 

The bad days were when Baekhyun had bad days. Once Baekhyun had pulled Sehun into an alley, pushed him to his knees and told him to be quiet. Sehun didn't argue and thought of this as repayment for Baekhyun mouth. When Sehun cooperated, Baekhyun's forcefulness calmed. He got gentler and Sehun saw a glimpse of the person he had once grown close to. He might try to speak to him again sometime soon.

 

However, things changed when two weeks came to an end and Chanyeol had sent a bird to tell them that he was on his way back. That night, Sehun had fallen asleep on the floor as usual, but he found himself woken by quiet sniffles. At first, he thought he was hearing things and he tried to go back to sleep. But as time went by, he realized the sounds weren't all in his head. Someone was crying.

 

He sat up, looked around, dazed with sleep and let his eyes adjust to the dark. He crawled to the first bed where Yixing slept, but the sound didn't increase. It only took his second try to find the bed where the sniffling came from.

 

"Baekhyun?" he asked in a sleepy voice. He rested his head on the edge of the bed for a moment. "What's wrong?"

 

The sniffling stopped and Baekhyun shifted in his bed. Sehun thought he had gone back to sleep, and Sehun was about to do the same. But a few moments later, Baekhyun finally spoke.

 

"Can you hold me?" he whispered, voice tight and watery with tears. "Please? For a little while."

 

He phrased like it weren't an order, and Sehun climbed up onto the bed with a short, "Yeah." He climbed onto the bed, being sure to keep himself out from under the covers. But he snuggled up to Baekhyun and wrapped an arm around Baekhyun's waist, keeping him close.

 

Baekhyun turned over then and nuzzled his face into Sehun's chest. It was the most vulnerable Sehun had seen Baekhyun in a long time and he didn't know how to react.

 

"Are you okay?"

 

Baekhyun didn't answer and kept his face buried in Sehun's clothes. After a while, he could feel the wet spot that Baekhyun was leaving behind with his tears. He stroked Baekhyun's hair to calm him like his father used to do when Sehun was little. 

 

"Do you love me?" Baekhyun finally asked. 

 

Sehun sighed and thought about their original deal. The one they hadn’t made under contract. The one they had when everything was nice and they were friends and it was a little bit more fun. How did he answer this question now? Was he supposed to default to his lie? Was he supposed to tell him the truth?

 

“What do you want me to say?” he questioned Baekhyun, keeping his voice down in the dark.

 

“Give me…” Baekhyun hesitated and took a breath. “Give me the truth. I’m terrible to you and I take advantage of you. I hand down your worst punishments and beat you harder than everyone else. But you don’t complain, and you still come here and hold me like I’m important to you.”

 

Sehun’s answer formed in his head even while Baekhyun spoke. When Baekhyun finished, he opened his mouth, still stroking Baekhyun’s hair to sooth him.

 

“I do love you,” he answered, being honest with both Baekhyun and himself. “Or at least, your old self. Your kind self. You’re important to me, and I hope you realize that I am making a choice to allow you to use me however you see fit. I don’t see that as taking advantage of me, though everyone else might. But don’t misunderstand. I am not in love with you.”

 

“How can you say I’m not taking advantage of you?” Baekhyun questioned in disbelief. “I don’t ask, and I don’t give when I used to give you so much more. And then I justify it to myself the way I treat you.”

 

“Listen to me,” Sehun urged, taking Baekhyun’s face in his hands so that he would be looking at him. “I signed that contract knowing this could be awful and hard to handle. I have always known how angry you were at me ever since you found out I was the reason your mother died. But I wanted you to take advantage of the rules because you could. Luhan won’t because he’s too kind. Yixing stays out of it as much as he can. Chanyeol's sense of justice is strong and I can feel when he doesn’t want to punish me. He doesn’t believe I deserve it. But I do believe I deserve it. So as much as I hate the beatings and the constant service and humiliation and everything else, I want it to happen. And when you punish me the way I feel I need to be, my guilt slips away a little more.”

 

“I’m ruining you, though,” Baekhyun cried, tears falling faster again.

 

“I’m already ruined,” Sehun told him. “And you know very well what I still have the right to refuse. But I haven’t refused you, and it's not only to ease my guilt. I want to be yours to deal with until the end of my sentence. It’s the least I can do for you. Luhan was right: death is too easy, and Taeyeon used her life to save mine, so why should I toss it back in her face? I have to use this life for good things, but I couldn’t take the guilt until this contract gave me a way to serve.”

 

“Why do you need this so badly?” Baekhyun questioned. “She wouldn’t have wanted you to feel guilty. That much I did know of my mother. It was her choice to save you.”

 

“And this is my choice,” Sehun rebutted. “And I don’t want you feeling guilty either for a choice I made myself. This contract includes the others, but it’s more about you and me. I want you to act on your anger and sadness because then I will know you are expressing your grief. These tears you are crying right now are telling me you’re running out of anger and I hope that is part of your healing. As much as I hope to be free of my own grief and guilt when this is over, I hope your grief settles as well. If you're already getting over your anger, then you don't have to punish me with that anger. Punish me with your grief.”

 

Baekhyun seemed to understand a little more of how Sehun thought. He didn’t have to agree with him and he didn’t, but he leaned his head against Sehun’s chest and tried to calm down.

 

“Fine,” he breathed. “I’ll try not to feel guilty. But that means you better feel completely guiltless when this is all over.”

 

Sehun nodded. “I’ll try,” he promised. Then he started to pull away to go lay back on the floor, but Baekhyun gripped his shirt to keep him there.

 

“Stay here,” he said, voice soft and uncertain. “Until I fall asleep.”

 

“Okay…” Sehun replied, staying still for a little while longer. Baekhyun closed his eyes again, but his breathing didn’t even out.

 

“If you sleep here, you’ll get ten lashes,” Baekhyun warned. It wasn’t an empty threat, but Sehun couldn't bring himself to care. Moments later when Baekhyun had fallen into sleep again, Sehun stayed put. In this quiet moment where he held Baekhyun, he felt like he had a brother again. Someone who felt bad when he hurt him and teased him and yet still went to him when he was having a hard time. He by no means called them ordinary siblings. What siblings did the things they did? But this moment on its own was as close as they got to pure.

 

Sehun closed his eyes, still holding Baekhyun close so he could sleep. In the morning, he would receive ten lashes, but that wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.

 

\-----

 

“Ten lashes.”

 

That was the first thing out of Baekhyun’s mouth when Sehun woke before dawn.

 

Baekhyun shoved him out of bed with a ruthless kick and Sehun tumbled to the floor with an audible "oof". He groaned in pain and rubbed the tender spot on his hip. Luhan was already up, getting dressed and Baekhyun was getting out of bed as well. Sehun didn't question it and made to get dressed as well.

 

“Baekhyun will be joining us this morning,” Luhan said once Sehun was decent again. “Don’t dawdle. You have work after prayer and don’t forget to bring your shoes with you. You may not put them on until you are at work.” This was a reminder spoken to him every day, but Baekhyun hadn’t come with them to pray before. That was unusual.

 

This whole thing reminded Sehun of the way he and Baekhyun had met first and it made him feel a little nostalgic. They sat next to each other and prayed in quiet until Sehun had to leave. Sehun had hoped another bird would come down and speak with Baekhyun today. The grieving man deserved to speak to his mother, but no birds came. He hadn’t told Baekhyun about seeing his mother that day and he wouldn’t tell him unless it happened to him.

 

Sehun went about work as usual, cutting flowers and hauling them back with Yixing to place in the store. They secured them in bundles with twine, but Ms. Younha crafted bouquets with meaning. Sehun liked flower arranging, but he liked individual flowers more. He liked the ones with meanings of happiness and love most.

 

He was always amazed by the variety of the flowers in the shop. Many of the ones currently in stock were all in season flowers and it was easy to pick them from the woods. But there were also bright spring and summer flowers that appeared in the shop. It hadn’t taken much guessing to figure out that magic aided the growth of these flowers.

 

“Yes!” Ms. Younha had said with a laugh as Sehun placed some tulips on display. “It is magic. I am an Earth mage and I can ask for all the dormant flowers even while in the middle of winter.”

 

Sehun smiled. “I know an Earth mage,” he told her. “I wouldn’t be here without him.” It was then that he finally noticed his arm had not ached in a long time. The last of the cracks must have finally healed despite everything. And so far, he had not noticed any lack of motion despite the damage that he had sustained. Magic was incredible.

 

“I’m glad you two met, then,” she hummed. “A sweet boy like you deserves to go much farther than here.” He clipped the stems of some roses and set them aside.

 

Sehun glanced over at Yixing who was busy tying a bouquet with a ribbon. “And it sounds like I will be making quite the journey,” he sighed in response to her.

 

“Your masters seem pleasant enough,” Ms. Younha said, seeming to catch his meaning. “At least, he does. But it is most certain that you have it easier than some. Would you like to make a gift for them? To thank them?”

 

Sehun shook his head. “I wouldn’t have the money to pay for it,” he said. "It would have been more apology than thanks anyway."

 

“Then perhaps you can do a little task for me?” she asked, not deterred. “I’ll consider it payment.”

 

Sehun didn’t take much time to think it over. He nodded in answer to the task. Even if she hadn’t considered it payment for anything, he was bound to do as she asked. “Yes, miss.”

 

She giggled and went over to grab a bit of parchment from behind her counter. She wrote a few things down and then came back to give it to Sehun. “This is a list of things I need from the market. Could you please go get them for me? I’ll supply you some money for all of it. Bring back anything you don’t use.”

 

Sehun nodded, took the list, and made his way out of the shop after she gave him the money. As soon as he was outside, he took off his shoes and made a run down the street towards the markets. He hadn’t been able to look through the shops on his own in the whole two weeks he had been there. Getting to walk through them now was enough. He had been a little frightened of looking through here and not finding anything for the Moon Witch.

 

He also worried about finding something expensive and not being able to pay for it. His mind went back to the last man he had sold himself to and had to shake the thought from his head. He had been doing well and Luhan hadn’t looked so sad these days. He didn’t want to disappoint him.

 

Walking through the stalls, Sehun found everything on Ms. Younha’s list one by one. He couldn't help but look through the other stalls while he was trying to find the ones he was looking for. But most of the time he only found little trinkets and bobbles that were worth nothing. None of it was something he would consider worthy of a gift for the Moon Witch,

 

Then he came to a little jewelry shop and decided to browse through the items. He saw something he recognized and his eyes widened. "Excuse me," he said to the shop owner. "But what is that gem?"

 

The shop owner looked at the gem in question and smiled. "Ah, you've got a good eye," he said with a smile. "That would be a sunstone. Pricey, but a very nice gem for those that can afford them." Sehun deflated. It was what he thought it was, but it was out of his reach. At the mention of the price, he ended up thanking the shopkeeper before leaving.

 

He sighed to himself and moved on. He had already gone back to his duties when a little boy caught his attention and beckoned him over. Alerts went off in Sehun's head that this was very reminiscent of the time someone assaulted him. But this was a little kid and not some adult he didn't know. Children didn't often have bad intentions like adults did.

 

Sehun followed, his steps hesitant, and the child led him to a little stall that was out of the way. An old woman kept the stall, sitting behind it on a worn stool. The little kid had to be her grandchild or even her great grandchild. The child plopped himself down on a little wooden stool next to her and said, "I saw you looking at the sunstone. We have one."

 

"Minnie," the old woman rasped out. "How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not selling it to anyone."

 

"But Nana!" the child whined. "I saw him in my vision last night!"

 

"You can't see the future, child," the woman grunted.

 

"Yes, I can!" he whined back at her. "Give it to him. He needs it for something important!"

 

"I will not give it to some boy that can barely hold a twig," the woman hissed. Sehun felt out of place in front of the two people and shifted from foot to foot, wondering what to do.

 

"Um," Sehun said, feeling uncomfortable. "I don't know why I'm here. I'll just go..." he said, the awkwardness saturating his voice. Then he made to turn back the way he had come. But the kid grabbed his pants to stop him from leaving.

 

"No! Your majesty! We have to help you get your rainbow!" the kid shouted.

 

Sehun winced at the title. "What are you talking about?" he questioned, his heart speeding up with his anxiety. "And why did you call me ‘your majesty’? I’m not royalty."

 

“You will be though!” the little boy said enthusiasm leaking out through his pores. He looked so happy and so certain even as he spoke that same nonsense Luhan spouted. “You need to find your rainbow, though. But you need a sunstone first and-“

 

“You’ve got the wrong person,” Sehun said, firm.

 

“No I don’t!” the kid said, jumping down from his stool to stand tall. He didn't look very intimidating in his short stature, but he did look like he held a strong conviction. Then his eyes seemed to glaze over all of a sudden. His body relaxed on his feet and he grew quiet. It didn't last long. He shook his head a few short moments later and looked back at Sehun. "Fine," he muttered. "You're not going to believe me, but at least listen to this. Go two streets down. You'll find something in a knickknack stall that you need."

 

The boy looked like he was going to say more, but a wrinkled hand grabbed his ear and tugged him away. The old woman didn’t even offer an apology to Sehun as she dragged the child away. He complained while she scolded him and Sehun chose that time to make a getaway.

 

After this, Sehun made sure he knew never to follow any strangers ever again, even the innocent ones. They were as crazy as the adults were dangerous. He sighed and continued to look for the last few items Ms. Younha had asked for. He was buying the last one and was about to leave when he thought about what the boy said. There was no harm in looking two streets over, right?

 

He went to the street the boy indicated and looked around. Most things were not of his interest, but he decided to give everything a look over. It wasn't until he found another jewelry shop that something caught his eye.

 

This one was less professional than the one that had the sunstone, but the work was no less gorgeous. The only problem was that Sehun looked through the items and felt no particular pull to anything. The stall owner looked at him with a kind smile and supplied no commentary while Sehun explored. Then he picked up a simple bracelet, carved from some kind of clear stone. It almost looked like glass. As soon as his fingers brushed it, it turned a rainbow of shimmery color. It brightened under the touch, and the change startled Sehun enough to drop it back to the shelf.

 

The keeper of the stall sighed. "Looks like you found something that belongs to you," he said, picking the item up from the shelf himself.

 

"Huh?" Sehun questioned, looking at the man. "What do you mean 'belongs' to me?"

 

"Just as I said," the man said, a laugh in his voice. "It belongs to you. You should take it."

 

"But I don't have any money to give you for it," Sehun told him, apologetic.

 

"There are very few people it will light up for," the stall owner hummed. "I doubt many others will see it the way you saw it now. And anyone else it lights for, I assume is already near you."

 

Sehun was about to make a response to that, but someone cut him off.

 

“Find what you’re looking for?” a voice said close to his ear. Sehun nearly jumped out of his skin in fright and turned around, ready to punch someone in the jaw. But when he saw that familiar smile and shock of red hair, Sehun grew far too happy to contain himself.

 

“Chanyeol!” he cheered, drawing the attention of those around them as he threw his arms around the taller man. His purchased things for Ms. Younha fell to the ground around him.

 

“Whoa!” Chanyeol laughed, managing to keep his footing as he caught Sehun in his arms. “Calm down. It’s only been two weeks.” But he hugged Sehun back all the same before pushing him back down onto his feet. “How have you been?” he asked. “Have you been good like I told you to be?”

 

Sehun’s smile faltered a little. “Mostly…” he answered.

 

“And what does that mean?” Chanyeol asked, a brow raised. He folded his arms and Sehun realized Chanyeol’s telling him to behave had been an order. It was something that he had failed to accomplish the very morning after Chanyeol left.

 

“Luhan told me to pray,” Sehun answered. “The morning after you left. I didn’t want to. They gave me the punishments I deserved.”

 

"Good,” Chanyeol grunted, displeased with this information. “What else have you done while I have been away?”

 

Sehun flinched. “I…I slept in one of the beds at the inn last night,” he answered. “Baekhyun assigned ten lashes for tonight. After work.”

 

“Work?” Chanyeol questioned. “You have a real job now?”

 

“Two jobs actually,” Sehun corrected. He was feeling a little better now that the topic had changed.

 

“And one of them isn’t…”

 

Sehun immediately caught on and ducked his head. “I did do that once since I’ve been here,” he admitted. But then his head shot up and he looked at Chanyeol with more confidence than he had felt in ages. “But I haven’t since, and I say no when I’m given the choice to!”

 

“Then what is your other job?” Chanyeol asked with genuine curiosity.

 

“I work at the tavern under the inn with everyone,” Sehun answered. “But I also work with flowers now. It was Yixing’s idea. I like it. I’m working right now, actually. I’m buying my employer some supplies she requested.”

 

“Then I’ll assign you ten lashes for not behaving while I was gone, like I told you to,” Chanyeol said, a stern frown on his face. Sehun tried not to whimper and accept the punishment with as much grace as he could.

 

“Yes, sir,” he muttered. “I have to go for now. I’ll see you back at the inn.” He bent down to pick up the items he had dropped. He had completely forgotten about the little item in the stall’s collection. But Chanyeol hadn’t. As Sehun ran off, Chanyeol picked the item up and it flared a bright red-gold light. He recognized those colors anywhere.

 

"I see like people attract," the stall owner hummed.

 

"It seems we do," Chanyeol sighed. "I'd like to purchase this, please."

 

Handing over the money to the vendor, Chanyeol took the item with a little smile. Sehun would have been back for it soon anyway.

 

\----

 

By the time Sehun and Yixing returned to the inn, Chanyeol had already greeted Luhan and Baekhyun. It was all fun and games with the group again. Baekhyun looked much happier now that Chanyeol had returned. Luhan seemed more at ease with Chanyeol back, too.

 

Sehun went about the rest of his day as if it were any other day. He did the cleanup and made them dinner and waited to eat. But he knew punishment was coming and his feet were already aching in anticipation. They didn’t drag him to the square this time. Sehun was almost convinced he would have started crying if they had tried. As nice as some people had been during his last one, he didn't want to have that humiliation thrust upon him again.

 

Instead, when it was time to administer punishment, Yixing took out the crop and ordered Sehun to lay on the bed. At first, Sehun thought this might make it easier to take. But even as he laid down on his front and extended his toes to show off the soles of his feet, Baekhyun came and sat on his back. Then Luhan grasped Sehun’s calves and pressed them deeper into the bed. Chanyeol came to him next, stuffed a gag into Sehun’s mouth and pinned his arms above his head. Sehun realized then that he couldn't move, and it made him feel weird. 

 

Yixing wasn’t kind today. He started with a harsh strike to the arch of his foot and Sehun cried out into the gag. It was automatic for him to struggle against the three people holding him down to get away from the pain. But they held him fast and no amount of struggle could free him until his punishment was over. The bed didn’t help any at all. In fact, it only made Sehun feel like breathing was more difficult. Dropping his head to the sheets was natural in this position, but not ideal. It was harder to breath through the fabric.

 

When he took all his lashes, they all let go and Sehun curled into a ball on the bed so that he could cry. He spat out the gag and clawed off the bracelet, trying to feel normal again. But Baekhyun immediately pulled him up off the bed and onto his pained feet. Everything hurt. Everything hurt, but he needed to continue to function like a human being. They never let him rest after his beatings. In fact, they made up more work for him to do to prolong the lesson. The small five lash beatings every night were not a big deal and only left behind vague aches. However, knowing he had done something to earn more than five gave it a whole new mental torture.

 

This time was a little different. When it was all over this time, they headed to bed. Sehun felt a little lost and couldn't bring himself to move yet from his spot. He waited until everyone was in their beds, blowing out the flames in their lanterns. Then he sank to the floor where his thin blanket lay. He curled up in it wondering why he felt so off.

 

He didn't get much time to himself to think on it. Luhan dropped to the floor with Sehun a few minutes later. He didn’t even bring a blanket with him. All he did was sit with Sehun while he tried to go to sleep and contemplate the throbbing in his feet. He was lucky that they weren’t traveling tomorrow.

 

They were almost ready to go, but Sehun hadn’t found his gift for the Moon Witch yet. and he still had to design a bouquet for his friends to thank and apologize to his friends. They treated him like shit when he acted like a brat, but again, it could have been so much worse. If they did not care for him at all, Luhan would not be on the floor with him, stroking his hair like this. Yixing would not convince him to quit selling himself. Chanyeol would not be so insistent on him behaving. Baekhyun would not feel like a brother when they sometimes smiled at each other.

 

Sehun finally managed to fall asleep to soft humming. He shivered right before the waves of a dream took him. It was getting very cold now. The chill of winter was getting deeper and they would head into the mountains soon. He would be getting his cloak and shoes back as soon as the snow started to fall. But until then, he had to last a little longer.

 

His dreams were strange that night, a mess of color and indistinct shapes. He got lost in what looked like a painted forest on a canvas. Birds flew from trees in splotches of color and animals darted between the trees in strokes of a brush. Then there was fire, making him dizzy with the heat and smoke. The walls of flames frightened him and he tried to run. But before he could get very far, they engulfed him and darkness descended on him.

 

He woke with a start to the early morning sunlight. He didn't bolt upright, but he jerked where he slept. He blinked and found himself restricted more than expected. It seemed Luhan had set something in motion that night that was unintentional. Sehun found a thicker blanket tossed over him and his friends were with him on the floor. Yixing in rabbit form was up next to his head, Luhan was on his left, closer than he had been when Sehun fell asleep. On the other side was Baekhyun, cuddled up to him as well. Chanyeol was a mess of long limbs over everyone.

 

They were still asleep and Sehun didn’t want to move much more and wake anyone up. But he needed to start moving soon or he would fall back asleep. He was already late for work and so was Yixing. However, no one stirred and it left Sehun feeling nervous.

 

“You were shivering uncontrollably last night,” came Yixing’s voice. Sehun looked down at the little rabbit, surprised. Yixing wasn't moving, but it was clear he was awake. “Then your powers started acting up. We were worried about you.”

 

Sehun looked around him and smiled. They were sleeping with him to keep him warm. "Was I sick?"

 

"A mild fever. Not magical this time," Yixing answered, dislodging himself from the group and transforming. Watching Yixing change would never not be fascinating to Sehun. "You can go back to sleep. I'll tell Ms. Younha you're under the weather." 

 

Sehun hesitated, but then he snuggled into the blanket a little more. He allowing himself what time he had left of this bliss. He wouldn’t be getting this level of comfort again until next year.

 

A little while later, he woke again. Everyone else had gotten up, but they left the blanket to him for now. Yixing had long since left, but Baekhyun was on his bed. Sehun could tell because of his socked feet hanging off the end. Chanyeol and Luhan were speaking in soft voices somewhere in the room. It didn’t appear to be a private conversation. Sehun didn’t know if he could move. He felt glued to the floor. His muscles ached with the remnants of fever, but he was feeling okay aside from the heaviness.

 

While he was stuck, he tried to close his eyes and go into prayer. He wasn’t at a shrine, but he had promised Luhan that he would pray. While he recited the most basic of prayers, he heard birdsong again. His eyes shot open and a little bird flew in through the window and landed on his chest.

 

A nightingale.

 

He stared at it and noticed it had something in its mouth, but it stood still on him, looking at him. Sehun felt like he should know what’s going on, but it isn’t coming to him right away. The bird tweets at him and offers the thing in its mouth to him. He takes it and realizes it’s a lock of silver hair. He looks at it for a moment and thinks that it looks remarkably like starlight.

 

The bird takes off as soon as realization dawns on Sehun. With it, his heavy body lightens and he throws off the blanket. He stumbles to the window, desperate to catch the bird before she’s gone. His feet come out from under him, but he catches himself on the windowsill.

 

“Mom!” he cries to the little bird as she flies off into the sky. “Mom, come back!”

 

Everyone in the room startled, surprised by Sehun’s abrupt awakening from slumber and then his rapid fall into panic. They all stopped what they were doing and went to his side, pulling him back from the window.

 

“Sehun, what’s wrong?” Chanyeol asked, worry evident in his voice as Sehun fought to return to the window.

 

“Let go of me!” Sehun shrieked. “She was here! She came to see me! Let go!”

 

“Your mother is gone, Sehun,” Baekhyun growled, grasping his face to bring him back to this world. “She’s not here. You were dreaming.”

 

“No! She was here!” Sehun said, jerking from the hold. “She gave me a lock of her hair, look!” He opened his palm, but there was nothing in his hand. The little gift that the bird had given him was gone. He stilled in their hold and looked all over the place. He looked back at where he had been sleeping, but there was nothing on the floor. Nothing that could even resemble a few pieces of starlight hair. “But…”

 

Luhan exchanged a glance with Chanyeol when Sehun wasn’t looking. They were all concerned. Luhan stepped up, placing a hand on Sehun's shoulder.

 

“Sehun, are you sure you weren’t dreaming?” he questioned.

 

Sehun turned his gaze on Luhan in disbelief. “You don’t believe me?” he asked.

 

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Luhan defended. “I’m asking if you’re sure she was here. You were sick last night. We have a right to worry about you when you say concerning things right after being sick. We want to be sure you weren’t hallucinating.”

 

“I wasn’t hallucinating…” Sehun mumbled, but tears were in his eyes and he couldn’t tell for sure what he saw anymore. Could he have been having a very realistic dream and he only woke from it when the bird flew away? “I don’t know…”

 

The hold on him slacked but did not disappear, because Sehun’s knees felt weak. He started to slump to the floor, far too disappointed and still tired. They lowered him back to the floor where he started to cry and shake and let it all out. Luhan sat with him while Baekhyun went to get him something to eat.

 

“I’m not hungry,” he said when Baekhyun came back with a bowl of food for him.

 

“I don’t care,” Baekhyun grunted as he stuffed the bowl into Sehun’s hands. Sehun still tried to refuse, but then Baekhyun made it an order. “Damn it, Sehun. Eat!”

 

It was good that Baekhyun made him take the food. Being in town where you get what you paid for meant that he got standard portions while they stayed at the inn. It would be back to rations when they started towards the mountains again tomorrow. Even so, Sehun ate at his own pace. By the time he finished his food, it was as cold as the prior night had been and tasteless in Sehun’s mouth.

 

When he finished, to get some of his perceived normalcy back, he got up and dressed for the day. His feet still ached and he wished he could sit down, but he needed to do something to get his mind off this whole fiasco.

 

“I’m going to go to work,” he told them. But even as he turned, Luhan grabbed his wrist to keep him from going anywhere.

 

“Yixing has told your employer that you are sick,” Luhan said. “You’re not allowed to go to the flower shop today.” Even though it wasn't supposed to be a reprimand, Sehun felt scolded. He dropped his head and tried to think of something else to do that would gain approval.

 

“Can I go look for an item for the Moon Witch, then?” he asked. Luhan hesitated. He didn’t want Sehun going out at all.

 

“Actually,” Chanyeol spoke up, going to his things and digging through them. “Yesterday when we ran into each other, I noticed you looking at this.” He produced the clear bracelet. It came wrapped in a small cloth when he purchased it from the vendor. And to prove that it was the same item, Chanyeol touched it with a finger and it exploded into color. “I purchased it because I knew you would be back for it. You wanted to give this to the Moon Witch, yes?”

 

Sehun looked at the item with quiet disappointment. Then he reached out to touch it as well and the colors exploded under his touch. He nodded and it was both happy and unhappy at the same time. He finally had a gift for the Moon Witch, but now he didn’t have a job to do. He needed a distraction from the thought of his mother. He would think about her all day if he didn’t get to do something.

 

Finally, Baekhyun sighed, looking down at him. “Sehun, I want you to clean this room from top to bottom,” he ordered.

 

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol hissed in a warning tone.

 

Baekhyun turned to him with a frown on his face. It was clear how much he hated when Chanyeol appeared displeased or upset with him.

 

“He wants a job, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun gritted out. “Can’t you see that?” Sehun looked up at him, surprised Baekhyun had gotten it so spot on. “Quit treating him like a child and let him do something. He looks fine.”

 

Chanyeol sighed and looked down at Sehun, conflicted. “Can you do it?” he finally asked.

 

“I can,” Sehun answered, feeling his pride bloom in his chest. He didn't like being frail. “But it doesn’t matter if I can or can’t. Baekhyun gave me an order.”

 

“Good response,” Baekhyun grunted. Then he crossed his arms. “If it’s not clean to a high standard by sundown, I’m assigning thirty lashes and we’re going to repeat last night. Don’t forget we leave early tomorrow morning. You’ll still feel it by then if we have to punish you tonight.”

 

Sehun nodded his head in understanding. Then, despite the looks both Chanyeol and Luhan were giving him, he got to work. The maids of the inn looked confused when he asked for rags to clean his own room. They grew less so when they realized he was the slave boy that had come into town not long ago with his masters. They both had different reactions to him though they obliged and supplied him with rags. One sneered at him and stalked off, remembering him from the town square. The other offered a sweet smile and gave him a pat on the head in encouragement.

 

Sehun filled the bucket with water from the tub and got to work. It was amazing how much dirt came off with little scrubbing effort, even without soap. Going back over the spaces with a full scrub and a little soap had still more coming off. He had only taken a few feet out of the wall and that had already taken longer than planned. But he would have much more to do than scrubbing walls and floors.

 

He stripped all the beds of their sheets and blankets when his friends left to do anything. Luhan left to places unknown as he seemed to do a lot in his free time. Baekhyun went off to get food and another book. Chanyeol went off to explore the town one last time before they had to leave. Yixing didn't return from the flower shop. It left Sehun alone to do his work in peace without distraction.

 

The sheets went into the tub where he could scrub them after they had soaked. While those soaked, he continued with the walls and got a stool for reaching the cobwebs on the ceiling.

 

His hands became red with the friction they had with the rough cleaning cloths. Wringing out the cloth became painful as he did the action over and over again, inflaming tender skin. It was nothing like a foot beating would be, and he kept that thought in mind. He kept going and kept working and working. He forgot about the ache in his feet and the ache in his heart from the dream this morning. He was too preoccupied to think about anything other than cleaning.

 

He took a breath when he finished with the walls. Then he dropped on his hands and knees and hand scrubbed the floors. He had already scrubbed and wrung out the bed dressings. They were hanging to dry over the tub. They would hopefully be dry by sundown. That would be his biggest downfall if any.

 

With scrubbing the floors came cleaning other things that belonged to the group. He didn't want them to make a mess as soon as they went back on the floor. All their tools and their equipment for roughing it were full of dirt and mud. This task delayed his progress, but he worked as fast as he could.

 

It was a good thing he was so thin, because when he needed to clean under the beds, he didn't want to lift them and move them. Instead, he shimmied under them and got rid of the webs and dust that had collected. One thing his powers did come in handy for was the dusting. Now that he had a good amount of control, he was able to tease up a small wind. It was enough to dislodge the dust and blow it out the window. He didn't do this when anyone was in the room either. No one had said it was against the rules, but he didn't want to disturb anyone while he did it either.

 

Still, Sehun kept going. He cleaned the bathroom as well, getting down into the toilet and cleaning the floor around it. He gagged more than once at the stench, but by the time he finished, the bathroom did look very nice.

 

By sundown, Sehun had gotten lucky and he was putting back dry bed dressings. Sehun finally settled himself down on the floor where he could at long last catch his breath. He wasn't given that much time, however. Baekhyun walked back into the room after a night at the tavern and looked around. The others weren't with him, but Sehun assumed they wouldn't be far behind.

 

Baekhyun inspected many things and swiped his finger over a million different surfaces. He was checking Sehun's work to be sure everything was completely dust and dirt free. Then he took a sniff at his own bedding and smirked before reaching into his pocket for something.

 

He walked over to Sehun, took his chin between his thumb and index finger, and pulled his mouth open. Sehun flinched and closed his eyes while Baekhyun put something in his mouth and closed it for him. Sehun didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't for a delightful sweetness to fill his mouth.

 

“Good job.”

 

Sehun’s eyes cracked open as he chewed on the sweet in his mouth. He looked over at Baekhyun who was dropping himself into bed with a tired sigh. Sehun didn’t know where this came from, but having his work acknowledged felt good. Baekhyun had relied on negative reinforcement for a long time, but now he was starting to change. It made Sehun smile and he hesitated to swallow the sweet for a few seconds longer to make it last.

 

\-----

 

Yixing came back to the inn much later than everyone else, but no one had gone to bed yet. When he walked in, Yixing’s arms were full of flower bouquets. Sehun got up from his spot on the floor to take them from him, wondering why he had brought so many home.

 

Yixing slapped Sehun on the back of the shoulder in irritation once his hands were free.

 

“Ow!” Sehun whined. “What was that for?”

 

“Ms. Younha said these were for you,” he grumbled. “Said you did her a favor to pay for them. But because you were sick today, she couldn’t help you make them yourself. She made them for you and I carried all of them home on my own!”

 

“I’m sorry…” Sehun said, smiling. He wasn't actually sorry; not for this anyway. He held onto the flowers and looked down at them, smiling. In the days he had spoken with Ms. Younha while working for her, he had told her a lot about his friends. He laughed when he ran meanings of flowers in his head and realized that everything was random. It all wouldn’t have made any sense if one were looking at the bouquet meanings as a whole. But knowing who his friends were, he could tell which ones belonged to whom.

 

Sehun picked through the bouquets and handed one with a delicate beauty to Yixing with a smile. Yixing looked confused, but he took it and Sehun moved on. He gave Chanyeol his next, a bouquet of fiery reds and oranges. He looked confused too, but he accepted the flowers as Yixing had. Luhan’s was full of night blossoms, and they were going to open up very soon. Luhan took it with a smile.

 

Baekhyun’s bouquet was special to Sehun. Even though he hadn’t made it himself, he had told Ms. Younha about Baekhyun’s love for Sunflowers and daisies. He had also told her about about Baekhyun's mother. He had chosen Ms. Younha to be a person he told the full story to. So she knew what this bouquet would mean to Baekhyun and to Sehun as well. She even threw in forget-me-nots to round it out.

 

Handing the bouquet to Baekhyun halted the world. No one moved. Baekhyun only looked at the flowers with a frown on his lips and searching eyes. When he finally moved, he looked up at Sehun and didn’t say a word. Sehun met his eyes and tried to smile. He wouldn't admit right now where he got the knowledge of Baekhyun’s favorite flowers.

 

“What is all this for?” he asked, not yet accepting the flowers. Sehun didn’t mind waiting.

 

“I thought about what you said,” Sehun answered. “I thought about how, with you, I have it easy. There are worse things you could have me do during this year, and you haven’t asked them of me. For that, I am trying to express my thanks and my apologies for putting all of you in this position.”

 

“You should be sorry,” Yixing muttered, fingering the delicate petals of his bouquet. Sehun looked up to offer him an apologetic smile. When he wasn’t looking, Baekhyun reached forward and took the flowers from Sehun’s hands. Sehun looked back to see Baekhyun burying his face in the flowers so he could feel their soft petals.

 

Sehun never felt so proud.


	16. Chapter 16

Most of them went to bed not long after dinner, but Luhan stayed up to watch his flowers bloom. Sehun stayed up with him and he stared at the little buds as they bloomed into beautiful flowers. By the time the whole bouquet was alight with color, he and Luhan had been talking for a long while about nothing. They laughed about silly things between themselves and discussed Rioda and its inhabitants. They talked most about the strange people they meet at the tavern and the children. The children in particular seemed to say strange things.

 

"I mean, you've said I'll be king-"

 

"And you will," Luhan maintained with undaunted confidence.

 

"-but what the hell does finding my rainbow mean?" Sehun questioned.

 

"I don't know," Luhan answered with a shrug. "But I would guess you will find out soon." He quieted while watching another blossom open up. "No one knows who you are. It won't be common knowledge in Ilesseas until you take the title of Crown Prince. But it shouldn't be common knowledge here ever. That child has a gift."

 

"Spouting nonsense is a gift?" Sehun snorted. "Then I had many gifts growing up. I babbled nonsense all day long when I was little."

 

Luhan laughed but shook his head. "No, Sehun. That child can see the future. He is like the many in the royal family here."

 

"Like Crown Prince Yifan?" he asked. "And the missing prince, too?"

 

"Prince Yifan does not have the same gift," Luhan corrected. "And we never knew if the younger prince did. He was a baby when he disappeared."

 

A thought struck Sehun. "Could that little boy be-"

 

"Too young," Luhan interrupted. "The boy Chanyeol and the prince are looking for is a little older than you are. And his older brother is desperate to find him."

 

"How will they know it is him when they find him?" Sehun asked.

 

"The reigning queen has the gift," Luhan told him. "Chanyeol was telling me she gets visions of her son every now and again. He says she has gotten them all his life and is at the very least relieved to know he is still alive. But she can never tell where he is. The gift is stronger in some and weaker in others. She is strong, but she cannot always tell you everything about events she sees."

 

"So, she knows what he looks like."

 

"Yes and no," Luhan corrected. "She has seen him, but it has been a good while since her last vision of him. She wonders if something has happened or if her gift refuses to come, but she can't seem to give up hope. They are about to send Chanyeol to the Sky Kingdom to consult their Seer if all else fails. The Seer has the same gift; a very strong version of it. But there are things even he doesn't see."

 

"Well, I hope something comes of it," Sehun said. "Chanyeol works hard for the royal family. I would hate to see his efforts go to waste."

 

Luhan made a noise of agreement as the last bud opened its petals to the night. He sighed and watched the moonlight fall on the white petals. He smiled in contentment a moment later.

 

“I need a bath,” Luhan finally breathed, pushing away from his spot at the windowsill. "Run it for me?"

 

The tone in which Luhan made that request told Sehun it was not an order, but he nodded and went into the bathroom. He started running the water before Luhan entered. It was cold at first, but it became warm in a matter of moments. Someone must have been tending to the furnaces below. He ran it until the tub filled with hot water and turned to Luhan to let him know it was ready.

 

Sehun found himself struck by Luhan's beauty as soon as he turned around. The other boy had stripped naked while he waited and Sehun hadn't heard him do so. Sehun had seen Luhan naked before, but something about the tone of this felt different. He had tried not to stare at Luhan on a number of occasions and this was one of them. He tore his eyes away and moved to the side while Luhan got in. He was about to leave Luhan in peace when delicate fingers gripped his wrist to stop him.

 

"Stay?" Luhan asked. "Bathe me? Like I did you?"

 

Sehun looked back at Luhan and saw some kind of hope in his eyes. In that short second of eye contact, Sehun realized he couldn't say no, even if he wanted to. He nodded and came to the side of the tub where he picked up the soap. He rolled up his sleeves and began to massage Luhan from head to toe. He was quiet as he worked and Luhan reclined with his head against the end of the tub; swift to relax.

 

"You've given massages before," Luhan noted. Sehun's hands were gentle where they needed to be and firmer on the muscles that often needed it. Once or twice, he brought a moan of pleasure to Luhan's lips and his head rolled to the side, hoping more would come.

 

"Yes," Sehun answered. "But I learned for the purpose of doing things I would rather have not."

 

"I know," Luhan breathed, opening his eyes to look at Sehun. "By doing this, you're not reminded of it, are you?"

 

Sehun shook his head, his hands moving lower on Luhan's body. "You are not making me do this," he answered. "They were. I like being able to choose."

 

"Would you be able to do this for more people if they asked?"

 

Sehun shook his head again. "I would be able to do it for the people that matter to me."

 

Luhan glanced at him, seeming to catch the meaning behind those words. Sehun's hands moved lower, digging into the muscles of Luhan's thighs. As he worked, he stripped them of both dirt and the tension. Luhan gasped and Sehun noticed Luhan begin to squirm with discomfort.

 

"Am I hurting you?" he asked, pulling his hands away for a moment.

 

"No," Luhan breathed, relaxing a little again when Sehun's hands were gone. "No, it felt nice. Please keep going."

 

Sehun continued with hesitant fingers to massage away the dirt from Luhan’s skin. It was like they had switched places from only a couple weeks prior. But Sehun wondered why he felt like he was forgetting something. He didn’t remember until he was massaging the skin of Luhan’s hips and moving back inward.

 

The only reason Sehun hadn’t noticed this problem sooner was because of the bubbles in the water. Anything Sehun was able to see was also distorted by the water’s moving reflection. He froze, the same way he remembered Luhan freezing during Sehun's bath. He looked to his left, searching Luhan’s flushed face as he gripped the sides of the tub. His knuckles were white with the strain and he was trying not to look at Sehun. He was too embarrassed.

 

Sehun licked his lips, unsure of how to approach this situation. He could pretend this wasn’t happening, but a part of him didn’t want to let this slide by. Maybe this was how Luhan had thought when he touched Sehun that night.

 

“Master,” he began, forming his words in his head. "If I wanted to touch someone without them coming to me first, am I allowed to act on that?"

 

“No,” was the immediate response from Luhan. He sounded like that wasn’t what he wanted to say at all.

 

“I can tell they need something,” Sehun pressed on. “But I don't think they will ask me.”

 

“Ignore them,” Luhan growled. “Drop it, Sehun.”

 

“I can’t,” Sehun said, sounding far too serious. “I care for this person and I’m almost confident I can help them.”

 

“Sehun…”

 

“What are you afraid of?” Sehun finally challenged. “I can hear it in your voice and I could feel it in the way you grabbed me and asked me to stay. You need me.” Sehun leveled him with a confused stare. “So why are you afraid? Do you think I’m going to hurt you?”

 

Luhan threaded his fingers through his own hair in frustration. He shook his head, not sure how to speak what he’s thinking. “I’m afraid _I’ll_ hurt _you_ ,” he finally answered. “I’m afraid of using you. I don’t want to force you to do anything you’ll regret.”

 

“How do you know I’ll regret it?” Sehun questioned. “What I’ll regret more is not having the choice to ask. I’ll regret not helping you because you told me not to bother asking.”

 

“But you won’t regret telling me no the other day?” Luhan spat, feeling angry and humiliated. He fixed Sehun with a glare, but Sehun didn't back down from this.

 

“I don’t regret that,” Sehun confirmed. “But it wasn’t because I didn’t want the help and it wasn’t because I didn’t want you, okay?”

 

Luhan’s eyes widened at that and the glare faded. “Then,” he began, uncertain, “why did you push me away then?”

 

Sehun flushed at the question and ducked his head. He’d have to make a confession to clear things up with Luhan, but he could land Baekhyun in hot water for it.

 

“When we came to Rioda,” he began, “I was still under the rules of punishment.”

 

“I am aware of that,” Luhan said.

 

“In private, I was under secret rules,” Sehun admitted, feeling self-conscious.

 

"I'm going to kill Baekhyun," Luhan hissed. He even made to get up from the tub, but Sehun pressed him down by the shoulders and shook his head.

 

“I know what all of you can ask for under contract and I know what I can refuse," he said to Luhan. "What I gave him was my own choice. But he called orgasm a reward. And because I was being punished-”

 

“You didn't deserve a reward," Luhan finally concluded, finishing Sehun's thought. His face relaxed into something of understanding after that. He didn't have to agree with it, but he understood what had gone through Sehun's head. "You were scared when I touched you because you were afraid of the fallout."

 

“Yes.”

 

“So, what makes now different?” he asked Sehun. "You're under continuous punishment."

 

“It’s different because it’s your pleasure, not mine,” Sehun answered, voice low. “And I want to give it to you.”

 

“What if I don’t want you to give it to me?” Luhan asked.

 

“You know how I feel about choice,” Sehun responded. “I’ll respect your decision as you respected mine. But tell me, do you really not want my help? Say you don’t and I’ll drop it and help you finish your bath. But be honest with me, please.”

 

Luhan closed his mouth, struggling with what to say. Did he want Sehun’s help with his little dilemma? It was clear he did, so why couldn't he give Sehun an affirmative answer? Sehun didn't understand. He thought he had read all the signs in his favor. But then again, he was also inexperienced in this and was going off his gut instinct.

 

“What do you want, Sehun?” Luhan finally asked. “Do you want to help me because you feel like it? Do you want to because this will serve me and your contract says you must serve me? What?”

 

That wasn't the reaction Sehun was hoping for. He bit his lip and listened to Luhan accuse him of shallow answers. It didn't take long before Sehun snapped.

 

He stood tall, taking his hands out of the water. He stared down at Luhan, breathing heavy as he tried to form words. Then he leaned over Luhan in the tub, getting his face up close and personal.

 

“You want to know what I want?” Sehun asked. “I want to stop thinking so hard. You, too. I want you to shut up and stop thinking so hard.” Then he kissed Luhan as he had never kissed anyone before. He took advantage of Luhan’s stunned state and molded his lips to the other’s soft, parted ones. Luhan’s fingers were scrambling at Sehun’s chest, but he was not pushing him away. He was pulling him closer by his tattered clothing and keeping him close. He struggled to meet Sehun’s kiss while struggling against the slippery surface of the tub. When Sehun finally pulled away to let them breathe, Luhan looked flustered. But what made Sehun smile was the sheepish expression that adorned Luhan's face.

 

"Yeah?" Luhan breathed, trying to go back in for more. Sehun gave him a few more seconds of lips touching lips before he pulled back. "Maybe we can do that? Stop thinking..."

 

“Will you let me touch you?” Sehun asked, kneeling back down next to the tub. “Will you let me take care of you?”

 

He could see Luhan trying hard not to think too much. Sehun had said his choices were his own on many occasions and Luhan did want his help. So what was there left to think about. Luhan nodded at long last. “Yes,” he breathed. “Please.”

 

With consent given, Sehun reached back into the water and took Luhan’s engorged cock in his hand. He smiled to himself as Luhan gasped from the simple touch. He leaned back over to kiss Luhan again when he began to stroke him.

 

His strokes were tight and slow, similar to what Luhan had tried to do to him before. Sehun lavished him with sweet kisses down his neck and over his clavicle. His hand brushed away Luhan's needs with swipes of a thumb over his tip. Sehun worked far slower than he was used to. Most of the people he had serviced in the past wanted to finish and he wanted it to be over. This was different. He didn't want to stroke Luhan to completion and end it. Sehun wanted to express care for Luhan. Seeing all these expressions was a treat, too.

 

"You don't like to punish me," he whispered against Luhan's neck. He didn't distract his attention more than that, sucking a kiss into Luhan's fair skin. "Why?"

 

"Because I'm never mad at you," Luhan said, a moan breaking past his lips. Sehun liked it. He liked it a lot. More than he ever liked hearing anyone else make that sound.

 

"No, you've been mad at me before," Sehun corrected. "But most of the time, you don't punish me like the others do."

 

"I don't want..." he panted, trying to catch his breath as he neared his climax. "Don't want...to think about the others..."

 

Sehun laughed and stroked Luhan a little faster. So this was why everyone used to talk about sex being fun. Sehun had never experienced the fun side of it before. It was a chore in the past or a means to make money. Now he was doing this for nothing. He didn't want anything but to make Luhan feel good. "I wouldn't have to talk about them if you stopped being unlike them."

 

"I don't want you to fear me," Luhan gasped, legs shifting about, wondering where they should go. He looked at such a loss. Sehun wondered if he had never let anyone touch him like this since he fell to earth.

 

"I don't fear them," Sehun told him.

 

"Even Baekhyun?" Luhan asked.

 

"Even Baekhyun," Sehun confirmed with a nod. "I fear punishment. But that's healthy. I know he gets angry and I understand why he would take it out on me. But I don't fear him because he still would not kill me even if he had the chance. And if he wouldn't at his worst, no one here would. I don't fear any of you. If I fuck up, that's my problem and it's not because you set your expectations too high for me to reach." He swiped over Luhan's tip again and it caused Luhan to convulse under his touch. "If I have done something wrong, punish me. Baekhyun has proved that I respond to different punishments than lashings. You don't have to hurt me to get me to learn."

 

"You would be okay with that?" Luhan breathed, going back to holding onto the sides of the tub to keep himself above water. He was getting close now. Sehun could tell. He was feeling Luhan's body move under his touch, twisting and flexing and relaxing. Sehun continued, letting the pleasure carry Luhan away.

 

"I would," Sehun assured. "Please allow me to serve my sentence. Allow me to serve you to a degree that makes me feel I have suffered enough when this contract is up."

 

“Alright,” Luhan gasped, finally sitting at the edge of that blissful cliff. “Alright, just please-”

 

Sehun took Luhan’s mouth back as he stroked him through the last few moments. When Luhan finally shuddered and shot his release into the water, Sehun smiled. He pressed harder into Luhan's lips and delved into that sweet mouth, swallowing his moans. Then he let go of Luhan’s softening cock and his hands moved on. He continued to rub his hand over Luhan’s supple body, massaging the relaxed muscles

 

Luhan broke the kiss first, feeling embarrassed for having let go in front of Sehun like that. Sehun gave Luhan a fond expression and a loopy smile while he leaned on the side of the tub, watching him.

 

“I think I’ve liked you for a while now,” Sehun said, breaking the silence. Luhan looked up at Sehun through the veil that was his bangs. His cheek were still flushed and Sehun found it both adorable and beautiful.

 

“So…” Luhan swallowed. “That wasn’t just… you serving a master?” He looked as if he felt childish and ashamed for asking. Then Sehun laughed and Luhan took a breath again in relief.

 

“No,” Sehun answered, traces of his laugh still lingering in his voice. “That was me wanting to please you.”

 

“And since when do you think you’ve wanted to do such things for me?” Luhan asked, curious.

 

Sehun thought about it for a minute before smiling. “Maybe it started that day I taught you how to mimic the nightingales.”

 

Luhan laughed at that, light and still breathless. “You’re pretty simple, aren’t you?”

 

Sehun smiled even brighter. “Maybe I am. Would a complicated person have lasted this long under a slave contract?”

 

“I wouldn’t have,” Luhan admitted, leaning in for another kiss. When he pulled back a few short moments later, he looked at Sehun with concern written in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re not going to become afraid of me?”

 

“I promise I won’t be afraid of you,” Sehun assured him. “Your punishments might be a different story. We’ll see. Now please get out of the bath. The water is getting cold and I don’t want you getting sick, too.”

 

Luhan sighed and raised himself from the bath. Even though they had seen each other naked many times before, Luhan looked self-conscious all of a sudden. He was quick to grab a towel and sling it around his waist and found it difficult to look Sehun in the eye. Sehun thought his sudden modesty was cute.

 

“Quit laughing at me,” Luhan whined.

 

“But you look so cute," Sehun chuckled. "I've seen you naked before. All that has changed is that I can openly admire, now."

 

Luhan snorted, not as amused. But he straightened himself up all the same and grabbed his clothes to make himself decent again. “You’re still sleeping on the floor,” Luhan muttered.

 

“I know,” Sehun hummed. “I’ll be fine.”

 

He ended up on the floor with a thin blanket as usual. It’s still cold, but it’s not as cold as he remembered it being the prior night. He had to get some sleep. They were getting up early and he needed to be able to function in the morning.

 

He woke after what felt like only a few short hours and he was groggier than usual. He managed to scrape himself off the floor with little speed. Baekhyun commented on it, but it was more of an inconvenience than a punishable offense. Sehun managed to get dressed and grab his things quicker. They left even before the sun rose, paying their last night’s dues at the front desk on their way out.

 

\-----

 

Even the short distance covered between morning and the afternoon had Sehun cranky. He didn't know where it came from, but he chalked it up to a bad day. The first time he wanted to snap at someone, he asked instead to go to the bathroom. Once allowed, he moved off the path for a few minutes. While he was taking care of his business, he took a few moments to calm himself; breathing deep to dispel the anger.

 

The second time, he didn't catch himself in time to hold his tongue. It was stupid, but it happened. All that happened was that Chanyeol asked which direction they should go. Sehun had the map among his things and it was his job to guide them if they needed it. But because he was cranky and tired, he made a snide comment while reaching for the map.

 

To the surprised of everyone, it was Luhan who turned around and slapped him across the face. It hadn't hurt much, but it was more of the shock factor that had Sehun snapping his mouth shut. Luhan had not stepped up to punish Sehun before and often refused to lay a hand on him if he could avoid it. But no one was more surprised than Sehun who held a hand to his aching cheek.

 

“This is your only warning,” he hissed, a finger pointed in Sehun’s face. “Speak disrespectfully again and you lose the ability to speak for the rest of the day.”

 

Sehun admits he deserved that. He couldn’t be even a little bit upset with Luhan. He had asked Luhan to teach him how to behave and Luhan had taken it to heart. Sehun now had to keep himself in check and avoid failing. But as a teenager who had bad days, that was awfully difficult.

 

Sehun ended up making his last mistake when they stopped to build camp. Sehun got frustrated as one of the tents collapsed before he could stabilize it. He didn’t know what came over him, but he kicked a few things and cussed up a storm. The wind threatening to kick up and that was enough. Luhan assigned ten lashes for his attitude all day and stuffed his mouth with cloth for the rest of the night. He didn’t get dinner that night and he wasn’t allowed to take the cloth out when he went to bed.

 

In the morning, they forced him to skip breakfast as well. The cloth remained in his mouth until they made camp again. His jaw was aching, but he wasn't able to make any form of complaint. When they finally allowed him to remove it, he made a formal apology to everyone and ate. He was completely ravenous by that point, but he was proud of Luhan for following through. He still got that strange buzz from learning from others. But now that Luhan knew of his affections for him, Sehun felt it even more. He wanted to please Luhan in more ways than the physical.

 

He slept with Chanyeol that night and they made quiet conversation. They spoke a lot about Chanyeol’s mission. He said the crown prince was getting frustrated with a lack of progress. The queen's lack of visions only made him more nervous. They were running out of leads and they hoped that the Seer of the Sky Kingdom could help them.

 

The Sky Kingdom. Ilesseas as Luhan called it; its true name. On a series of floating islands, the people on the ground didn’t go visiting the kingdom often. It was no wonder it had only acquired a nickname instead of its given name. But thoughts of the kingdom made Sehun anxious. How in the world would he ever make a great king to a nation of people? And Sehun being stuck on a throne for the rest of his life was not what he wanted.

 

Luhan seemed insistent, however, and so did that silly kid back in Rioda. Sehun sighed and tried not to think about it too much. In the next tent over, Sehun heard a hiss of pain and a quiet word of worry. That was Yixing and Luhan’s tent and he wondered what had happened. But since no alarm was raised, it must not be that bad. Chanyeol didn't even seem to notice.

 

"I heard something when I was gone from you guys," Chanyeol whispered. "Something I think you might find interesting."

 

"Yeah?" Sehun breathed, stifling a yawn. He was getting tired and he wouldn't last much longer this night. "What is it?"

 

"There's movement from the people in Nimrine," Chanyeol told him.

 

At the mention of his old home, Sehun's brain woke up a little. He propped himself up on an elbow to give Chanyeol his full attention. 

 

"What do you mean?" he asked.

 

Chanyeol sat up, rubbing his eye and looking at Sehun with a small frown. "You didn't think you were the only magical being left in Nimrine, did you?" he asked.

 

"Well, no," Sehun answered. "But it was easy to forget."

 

"There were more," Chanyeol reminded him. "Many more. And they are tired of the laws against them. But it is not the laws alone. Famine is spreading through Nimrine at a rapid pace.

 

"Why?" Sehun questioned with a frown of his own. "Nimrine was once a rich country. Famine hasn't been widespread for over a hundred years."

 

"Their wealth was due to smart and worthy kings," Chanyeol said. "And this famine is because the current king banished the magic. You didn't see it because you were at the border. But the heartlands are turning to deserts. Magic nourishes land, and without it, the land dies. Now, the few magically inclined left are forming a rebellion."

 

"Rebellion?" Sehun breathed, eyes going wide. He couldn't believe it. "What do they intend to do?"

 

"Take the throne," Chanyeol said as if the answer were obvious. "Eliminate the laws that keep magic out and bring it all back. Give people like you a chance to come out of hiding."

 

That last bit struck something inside of Sehun. He felt tears spring to his eyes as he thought of everything he had been through to avoid discovery. If no one else had to go through that, he would be happy. Chanyeol seemed to notice this well of emotion and reached forward to ruffle Sehun's hair. 

 

"I don't know much more," Chanyeol said in a soft voice. "But if I hear anything else, we can discuss it again. For now, go to sleep. You can send them prayers in the morning."

 

Sehun nodded and didn't speak another word. Now sleep wouldn't come easy. He rolled over and closed his eyes, but his head swirled with thoughts. When he stayed awake for too long, he turned his thoughts to lighter things. Instead of rebellion, he wondered if they would finally find snow tomorrow.

 

\-----

 

They reached an outpost at the base of the mountain two days later. They took time to stock up on dry foods for when the game became scarce. There was also some worry the edible roots would be difficult to find under snow and ice. They didn’t see snow for another day, but they knew they would see some soon. They gave Sehun his shoes and cloak back preemptively because of the icy winds.

 

Sehun blinked in surprise when he found it was not his same old cloak that they gave him. Instead, it was the white one Luhan had given him on his birthday. But there were strange patterns on the inside of it he didn't remember being there. Luhan had been making modifications to his cloak for days. It explained why he had been hissing with pain the past few nights. He had learned basic needlework from some women in Rioda and wasn't quite adept yet. Had had spent time trying to make a pattern of stars all across the inside of Sehun’s cloak. But without skill, he had stuck himself a number of times while creating the designs.

 

The shoes felt as weird as they had when he wore them for work. Sehun was grateful for them, and not for the obvious protection from the snow alone. In the days leading up to the base of the mountain, the trails had grown rockier and harder for bare feet to walk on. He had come away with a few nasty cuts that needed attention, but he did not get his shoes back until they expected snow.

 

Journeying up a mountain was not as difficult for Sehun as it was for Baekhyun and Luhan. Sehun had grown up at the base of a mountain on the opposite side of this very mountain range. As a small child, he remembered going up into the rocks and playing around. But his father also took him up further when his powers ran rampant to keep the village safe. The worst of it was when Sehun became sick. He was glad that was all behind him now.

 

Baekhyun on the other hand had grown up in Tysten, a place where flat land and fields abounded. He grew up where the hills met cliffs and cliffs met the sea. It was far away from where Sehun used to live. Taeyeon wouldn’t dare raise her child in Nimrine.

 

“If you lived so far away,” Sehun said once, “how did you end up here?”

 

“I ran away,” Baekhyun answered. “I wanted to be with my mother, but all my grandparents told me was that she went to Eriand.”

 

“You didn’t pass through Nimrine, did you?” Sehun asked, aghast. Nimrine was the country that sat between Tysten and Eriand, but boats were always an option. If Baekhyun had taken Taeyeon's path and revealed himself on such a journey, he could have met with death.

 

“Of course not,” Baekhyun said. “I boarded a ship that went past it. It was faster anyway, and I was trying to catch up with her. But I didn’t know she spent time with you in Nimrine. And when I ran out of money while looking for her, I resorted to a few things I shouldn’t have and got in trouble.”

 

“So that’s why you were indentured to a brothel,” Sehun concluded.

 

“Yes. But I was only there for a few weeks before Chanyeol came and found me.” Sehun always noticed the softened eyes when Baekhyun mentioned Chanyeol’s name. It was like the key to Baekhyun’s happiness hid somewhere in the syllables.

 

“How is that going, by the way?” Sehun asked, giving him a sly smile.

 

“How is what going?” Baekhyun questioned, brow raised. He didn’t look amused.

 

“You know,” Sehun sang. But he lowered his voice so only Baekhyun could hear the next part. “You and Chanyeol.” Baekhyun’s eyes widened and he shoved Sehun away.

 

“There is no me and Chanyeol,” he hissed.

 

“But you want there to be,” Sehun said in a singsong voice.

 

“Sehun, I swear on my mother’s grave that I will assign lashes if you don’t shut your mouth.”

 

Even with the threat, Sehun was not afraid. If Baekhyun assigned lashes for teasing him, they would be the lashes he was proudest to earn.

 

“You’re no fun,” he teased.

 

“Well, what about you and Luhan?” Baekhyun shot back, trying to move the attention from himself.

 

“What about us?” Sehun questioned. Since the night he had helped Luhan find completion, nothing else had happened. In fact, except for Luhan picking up on punishment the way he had, it was almost as if nothing had happened. But still, it was more than Baekhyun could say for him and Chanyeol.

 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Baekhyun growled. “Quit playing games.”

 

“I’ve told him I liked him,” Sehun admitted. Baekhyun deflated at the news and crossed his arms. “He knows. And he didn’t say in so many words that he liked me back, but the way he acted after I told him was favorable.” He wasn’t about to give an explicit recount of what happened. He could keep his privacy on this one thing. If Luhan spoke of it, then he would, but until then, Sehun enjoyed this one secret. “Why don’t you speak to Chanyeol about how you feel?” Sehun suggested. “You might get a favorable reaction, too.”

 

“Sehun, what did I say?” Baekhyun gritted out.

 

“I’m trying to be helpful,” Sehun defended with a smile. “You’re kind whenever he’s around and you’re vile when he’s not. Saying his name makes you smile and his words have the most impact on you. It’s so obvious that you’re in lo-“

 

Baekhyun slapped a hand over Sehun’s mouth to silence him. Then he fixed a hard stare on Sehun and told him, “Ten lashes.”

 

He released Sehun a half second later.

 

Even later that night when he was crying from the beatings, he maintained that he was not apologetic. Not in the slightest. He earned those lashes, but Sehun would say it all again any day.

 

\-----

 

They were close to their destination. Chanyeol told them they had passed a marker a little way back. Yixing had been quiet most of the day as they climbed and Luhan was growing quieter by the minute. Baekhyun and Chanyeol continued to talk, but even they were muted. Sehun on the other hand was feeling a slight dizziness with the elevation and had to stop often.

 

It was still bright when they got to the caves. Chanyeol had been passing them information about the caves since leaving Rioda. They didn’t have a name, but they held numerous little pools of clear water. Some claimed it to be a space connected to the spirit world. Others said the caves once held large crystals. Now they belonged to fortune seekers that arrived there first.

 

This was supposed to be where the Moon Witch lived. They searched the caves even as far back as they would go, but there was no sign of an entrance to a home. There weren't even any clues that might lead them to what they were seeking.

 

“I don’t understand,” Chanyeol muttered. “This is where everyone said she would be. All the information I had said she was in one of these caves.”

 

“Perhaps we’re doing something wrong,” Luhan suggested.

 

“Or maybe we have to look somewhere else,” Baekhyun also suggested. “Is there a similar set of caves to these around here? Could we have gone to the wrong ones?”

 

“This looks pretty unique to me,” Sehun said as he looked into the pools of water. One thing this place did make him feel that it was spiritual of a kind. He almost wanted to sit at the edge of one of the larger pools and pray. But there was no time for that right now. 

 

On the mountain, finding shelter and setting up camp was important to do before it got too dark. In this case, they got lucky and there was space in the back of the cave to set up their bedrolls and make a fire. Sehun felt this was a little uncouth for a spiritual space. But the snow outside was already starting to fall and it would be dangerous to head out when it was like this.

 

Chanyeol lit a fire on the stone and they arranged themselves around it for warmth. Sehun felt very much like he did back at the inn that one night he had been sick. But this was the unforgiving weather and not some sickness. When the wind started to howl shortly before bed, he at least sighed and was able to do something about that. He quelled the wind with a little force of will and a spell.

 

Luhan turned to him in his bedroll when he did that and stared after him for a moment. “I’m sorry we didn’t find the Moon Witch…” he apologized.

 

“It’s not your fault,” he whispered. “I’ll have to find help somewhere else.”

 

“Maybe the Sky Kingdom is where you need to be after all,” Luhan suggested with a sly smirk. Sehun rolled his eyes.

 

“As much as I hate to admit it, you may be right,” Sehun groaned. “I might have to go there to ask the prophet where Taeyeon’s brother is.”

 

Luhan nodded. “And while we’re there, I can show you that you won’t get turned away at the gates to the castle.” He snickered and Sehun hated him for it. But when he quieted, he slipped a hand out of his bedroll and extended it towards Sehun without a word. Despite how not happy the conversation had made him, Sehun reached out a hand as well. They fell asleep with their fingers laced. Sehun swore he had never gotten such peaceful sleep in his entire life.

 

\----

 

His blissful sleep ended when someone shook him awake. It was Yixing, and Sehun started to ask what was wrong until Yixing covered his mouth with a gentle hand. Then he placed a finger to his own mouth in a gesture to keep quiet. He got up and beckoned for Sehun to follow him.

 

Sehun looked down at his fingers, still half laced with Luhan’s. He undid their fingers with a caring gentleness so he wouldn’t wake Luhan. Then he got up to hurry after Yixing who was walking back towards the front of the caves.

 

Once they were away from their three other friends, Sehun felt comfortable speaking. He hadn't wanted to ask questions then for fear of waking anyone.

 

“What did you wake me for?” he asked. “Is something wrong?”

 

Yixing didn’t answer those questions. Instead, he said, “These caves do have a name. It’s just not a name very many people know,”

 

“Huh?” Sehun said, caught off guard and not understanding. “Um, what’s the name?”

 

“I’m glad you asked, because I was going to tell you whether you wanted to know or wanted to go back to bed. This is the Cave of the Moon Pools, and this is where the Moon Witch lives.”

 

Sehun’s eyes widen. “Then why can’t we see her?” he asked. “We’ve been here all day and haven’t seen a thing out of place.”

 

“Because he’s hidden himself behind some powerful enchantments,” Yixing said.

 

Sehun's brow furrowed. "He?"

 

Yixing ignored him and continued. “But there’s still a way to get in. You just have to think about it.”

 

“Think about it?” Sehun repeated dumbly.

 

“This is the Cave of the Moon Pools," Yixing repeated, exercising patience with Sehun. "We’re looking for the Moon Witch. Do you think we’re going to see anything during the day?”

 

Sehun's eyes widened and he slapped himself on the forehead. Why hadn’t that occurred to him before? He felt like an idiot.

 

“We have to look at night,” Sehun concluded.

 

“Yes,” Yixing said.

 

“Why couldn’t you have told me all this during the day?” Sehun questioned. But then the question changed. “Why do you know this at all?”

 

Yixing smiled and walked over to a pool as it began to shine like soft moonlight. His eyes glazed over as he looked into it and he started to fall forward. “Because my master only wants to see you,” he breathed. And then he was being sucked up by the shallow pool and disappeared as one might down a well.

 

“Yixing!” Sehun shrieked, hurrying to the pool Yixing disappeared through. He leaned over it, but Yixing was gone and all that was left was the shallow, clear water. Even the glow was gone. But as he stared into it, he saw something at the bottom. He leaned closer, becoming transfixed by it. He didn't even know what it was.

 

The pool glowed again with moonlight and Sehun felt drawn to it. What was at the bottom? He leaned a little closer to look, but it grew farther away. Then he exhaled and he fell into the pool as it became deeper and deeper and swallowed him as it had Yixing.

 

Sehun fell through the water around him and it was only the urge to breathe that frightened him. He couldn't get his limbs to work and he couldn't swim through this. But it didn't matter because a few short moments later, he was being dropped onto a marble floor.

 

He groaned at the pain, but he managed to take his first breath since falling in. He gasped as if he had believed he would never breathe again and managed to roll himself onto his stomach. He sat there for a moment, trying to collect himself. It wasn't until he finally looked around that he realized he wasn't alone.

 

Sehun looked up and met the darkest brown eyes he had ever seen before. Sehun jolted to his feet and looked at a man, about his height, clad in thick, black robes trimmed with silver. In one hand he held a staff with runes carved into it and a pale blue gem seated at the top. In his other hand, he held a rabbit that must have been Yixing.

 

"Wh-who are you?" Sehun questioned, taking a step back. But he did not need to bother asking. The answer came to him quite soon and he should have known the answer.

 

"I am Kai, the Moon Witch," the young man answered. "We have spoken before, and I knew you would one day come here to find me, Sehun."

 

"How did you know that?" Sehun questioned. Then he remembered the time he had spoken with Yixing's master and it was starting to make sense. “You're Yixing's master?”

 

"Yes," Kai answered, a small nod of his head. "And I knew you would come because every king comes to find the witches of their generation."

 

"I'm not a king," Sehun replied stubbornly.

 

“I know who the next king is when I see them," Kai replied, just as stubborn. "That is why I sent Yixing to you.”

 

"I am not here as the future king you people think I am," Sehun repeated, trying to relax. It was difficult. Everyone often told him that he was terrible at sensing magic, even when it was right in front of him. But Sehun could feel something coming off this man, and he wasn't so sure it was comforting. "I am not a king and I don't intend to be one."

 

"Oh?" the Moon Witch hummed, brow raised. "Yixing would not have brought you here if it were not important. If you are not here to speak to me about your birth right, then what are you here for?"

 

"I believe Yixing and I to be friends," Sehun began. "So I believe that he brought me here to help me. I was told you could help me find someone."

 

The man bristled and Yixing jumped from his hold to the ground. "My help doesn't come cheap," the man hissed. "I am only of service to the king of Ilesseas. If you wish for something from me, only the king does not have to pay."

 

"Then allow me to make my request and you can name your price," Sehun offered. The man did not speak, allowing Sehun to continue. Sehun reached into his pocket and produced his little moonstone. The last gift Taeyeon had given him before her death. The man's face froze and then his eyes narrowed almost as if in anger.

 

"Where did you get that?" he demanded.

 

"A dear friend gave me this," Sehun answered, not fearing Kai's sudden anger. "She saved my life and asked only that I find her brother and pass him a message as repayment."

 

The anger didn't die on the man's face and he still stared at the little moonstone as if he hated it. "And why did this friend of yours not come herself and ask me for help?"

 

Sehun found himself looking at the floor, his hands limp by his side. He could feel the guilt creep up on him again with that question.

 

"In saving me," he began, "she gave her life away. This request was her dying wish. She tried to find him on her own, but she said a curse kept them apart. This must have been her only way of finding him."

 

“What is his name?” the Moon Witch asked as if he were checking something.

 

“Jongin.”

 

At last, the anger faded from the Moon Witch's face and he turned from Sehun. He lifted a hand to his face as his other hand held his staff with a vice-like grip.

 

"I don't do locator spells," the Moon Witch said. "But in this case, I can offer you a direction. It will still cost you something."

 

“I did bring a gift for you,” Sehun mentioned. “But I’ve left it outside. I did not realize I would be here right now.”

 

“I know of your gift and I have collected it already,” the Moon Witch said. He raised his arm and pulling back his sleeve to show the glowing bracelet on his arm. “I don’t think you know what it is, but it is a good gift. However, it is not enough for my advice. Perhaps you might wish to reconsider your stance on becoming Ilesseas’ new king?”

 

Sehun hesitated. “I don’t want to be king,” he said. “I don’t think you understand my situation.”

 

“I understand quite clearly,” Kai said. “I can guess that you feel guilty for living while your friend died. I can guess you don’t feel deserving of a title. No king prior to you ever has. I can guess a lot of things, but all of that doesn’t stop the gods from picking you.”

 

“What’s so special about me?” Sehun demanded. “I am not even a full grown man yet. I have no skills and magic pops up in me like weeds.”

 

“You have the right heart,” Kai said, stabbing Sehun in the chest with a finger. “But your stubbornness needs to be curbed.”

 

“So I am told,” Sehun grunted, face scrunching up at the thought.

 

“Someone is smart.”

 

“Someone is in control,” Sehun corrected. “Hasn't Yixing told you? I made myself a slave to him and the others to pay for my right to live.” A swift strike to the gut with his staff and the Moon Witch had Sehun on the ground. Sehun curled in on himself as he tried to breathe after having the wind knocked out of him.

 

“Stupid!” Kai spat as he stood over Sehun. “You own up to your perceived mistakes, but your methods are extreme. Never do it again. The next one may get you killed.” Then he turned around and went to a small chest on a table in the corner of the room.

 

He whispered a few words and the chest unlocked with a click. Sehun was still recovering his breath and stumbling to get up. Yixing approached him, back in his human form, to help him rise to his feet again. Then the man was back and he was stuffing something small and hard into Sehun’s hands.

 

“Take this and go speak with the Seer of Ilesseas,” he instructed. “He can tell you anything you want to know about the person you’re looking for.”

 

“And the price?” Sehun asked, not even looking at the little item.

 

“I piece of clothing,” the Moon Witch answered. “One owned by your friend. That will suffice.”

 

“I don’t have any with me,” Sehun said.

 

“Then consider this a loan,” he said, tapping Sehun’s forehead with his staff. Sehun felt the presence of magic enter him and bind him to a contract he didn’t sign of his own free will. “You have six moons to bring what now belongs to me or become king. If you are not king or have not brought the item I requested by then, the curse I just cast on you will become active. You will fall into a deep sleep with few ways out and you will still owe me. If someone settles your debt for you, you will find freedom. If no one settles your debt, you will have to find your own way out or be stuck in a dream forever.”

 

“I will bring the item,” Sehun promised. “You will have it before six moons.”

 

“For your sake, I hope you tell the truth,” the Moon Witch said, turning away from him. “Now go. There is a reason I keep myself hidden and it is because I wish to be alone. Yixing, go with him. He and his friends may still need you.”

 

“Yes, master,” Yixing said in a hushed voice, a bow of the head. Then he started to pull Sehun back, but Sehun resisted for a moment more.

 

“Wait!” Sehun cried.

 

The Moon Witch looked back at Sehun, a frown etched into his handsome features. He flicked his wrist and Yixing dragged Sehun back. But the Moon Witch didn’t look away as Sehun felt the water around him suck him back up the way they came. Finally, before he was out of sight, the Moon Witch spoke once more.

 

“Good luck to you, Sehun.”

 

\-----

 

Sehun landed back in the cave with a hard thud on his back. Yixing stood next to him, poised and unharmed. Sehun looked up at him with a frown and sat up.

 

“Did you hold onto his gift?” Yixing asked. In hindsight, Sehun was actually relieved that Yixing had asked. Sehun had completely forgotten about it. But when he looked down and realized the item was still clutched in his hand, he breathed easier.

 

Curious, because he hadn’t seen it when Kai had put it in his hand, Sehun finally opened up his fist. His eyes widened to an almost impossible degree and he sat up as his mouth dropped open in disbelief.

 

He was holding a little sunstone. In his other hand he had the moonstone Taeyeon had given him. They were almost identical in size and shape and they glowed with soft light. They almost seemed to be conversing with each other, singing with subtle magic. Sehun couldn't stop looking at them. He was only called back to the present when Yixing placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Enough,” he whispered. “Let’s go back to bed before someone notices our disappearance.” He pulled Sehun to his feet, but Sehun did not immediately follow after him.

 

“What am I supposed to tell the others?” he asked Yixing. Yixing stopped, but he did not look at Sehun until a few moments later.

 

“Tell them the Moon Witch came to you,” he answered. Then he gave a soft smile and added, “But don’t let them know yet who I serve. I am your friend and theirs, and I would like us to remain comfortable.”

 

Sehun agreed.

 

When he laid back down next to Luhan, he reached for his hand again. He stopped himself short and laid his hand near Luhan's instead. He didn’t want to risk waking Luhan. He could always make the excuse in the morning that their hands had separated when they shifted. It didn’t stop him from staring at Luhan’s beautiful face until he fell back asleep, though.


	17. Chapter 17

Waking the next morning was difficult because he had spent half the night up. But he couldn’t deny Luhan his daily prayer. He got dressed but left off his shoes and cloak as long as they stayed sheltered inside the cave. He hadn’t forgotten himself just because they had returned his things to him. In fact, Sehun was starting to wonder if he would ever actually like shoes again when this year was over.

 

After prayer, it was time for breakfast and Sehun chose this time to clean up camp while the others ate. They were already discussing what to do, but Sehun eased their minds when he spoke up.

 

“You guys don’t have to worry,” he said as he rolled up his own bedroll last. “The Moon Witch came to me last night.” The group looked at him, a look of collective surprise on their faces. Even Yixing turned his head with false confusion to mask how much he knew.

 

Luhan pranced over to him and leaned over his shoulder with a smile. “What did he say?”

 

Sehun turned to him with a frown that should have made it very clear what Kai had told him. Luhan giggled at Sehun’s misfortune and Sehun sighed.

 

“He told me to ask the Seer in the Sky Kingdom,” Sehun groaned. “Told me to give him this.” He pulled out the little sunstone from his pocket. Luhan’s smile brightened further, reaching an almost impossible level of joy. It made Sehun’s heart twist in his chest. How was he going to ever convince Luhan that he couldn’t take the throne he wished him to take? He seemed so certain that the position belonged to Sehun, but Sehun didn’t feel that way.

 

“Perfect!” Luhan cheered. “Chanyeol needs to go that way anyway. He can take us there.”

 

Sehun felt the dread fill him so full up that he wanted to bury his head in the dirt.

 

“Yixing, Baekhyun?” Luhan said, looking over to them. “What do you plan to do?”

 

Yixing shrugged and continued eating. “I’ve got nothing better to do,” he lied. “I’ll follow you guys around for a little longer.”

 

Baekhyun snorted and put down his now empty bowl. “I’ll also stay,” he said. “I’ve still got to take care of Sehun’s punishment, yes?”

 

Sehun was the only one to nod, but he also knew that that wasn’t the only reason Baekhyun was tagging along. He waggled his brow at Baekhyun in a playful manner. Baekhyun was still not amused.

 

“Sehun, I swear on everything that is holy-!” Chanyeol grabbed the back of Baekhyun's robes and restrained him from lunging. He sat Baekhyun down and looked at Sehun with a frown as stern as his next words were.

 

“Whatever it is, quit teasing Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said. His voice was low to match his stiff expression. “Do you want more lashes for disrespect?”

 

“In this case, I don’t think he cares,” Yixing snorted, seeming to know the joke.

 

“Then another more persuasive punishment should be used,” Chanyeol suggested. Sehun paled. The lashings were already terrible. What could they punish him with that was worse than those for disrespect?

 

“The threat seems to have been enough for now,” Luhan hummed as he finished up his food. Sehun shrank and said nothing else. Perhaps he would have to knock the teasing down again. He was getting too comfortable.

 

When everyone finished eating, Sehun scraped a bowl together for himself. When it was time to leave, he dragged his cloak and shoes to the edge of the cave and put them on there. “So, which direction do we go now?” he asked. “The sky kingdom isn’t on the map.”

 

“No,” Chanyeol conceded, “but there are towns on here had supply lifts.” He pointed out a few random towns and cities with ease. It was clear he had planned a trip there in recent days. “There are a few different ones somewhat close by. One being on the other side of this mountain. But the kingdom won’t be nearby for a few weeks.”

 

"A few weeks?" Yixing questioned. "That's quite a lot of time wasting, don't you think?"

 

"Do we have a choice?" Chanyeol questioned. "If we move around too much, we could miss it anywhere. it's always moving."

 

"True," Luhan sighed. He seemed a little hesitant to sit around for once. But there were fewer options out here. "We can always find jobs again. The city is large for a mountain dwelling. There will be places to stay."

 

"They're no ordinary mountain dwellers," Chanyeol assured them. "The minor noble in charge is very dedicated to his job and makes sure everyone gets exactly what they need. They also take care of the people who are sick. They have lower levels where they treat their sick so they don't have to battle the altitude. And here's something you'll enjoy, Sehun: it's nicknamed the Windy City."

 

Sehun perked up at that. He hadn't gotten a chance to play with the wind in quite a while. He might be able to get a little energy out of his system there. "I want to go there!" he chirped, excitement coloring his voice.

 

"Hold on Sunshine," Luhan told him, bopping him on the back of the head with a soft hand. "We still need to figure out how we're going to feed ourselves between here and there."

 

"Sunshine?" Sehun questioned in confusion. Since when did Luhan call him that? Wouldn't that fit Baekhyun more? "Uh, I can hunt."

 

"You can, but remember, food is not as common up here," Chanyeol reminded him.

 

"We would be better off going back down the mountain," Yixing suggested. "It's easy to get turned around in the storms on this mountain. Let's not tempt fate. It's bad enough that we're up here during winter."

 

"I agree with Yixing," Baekhyun added. "I'm not even convinced Chanyeol's fire could save us in a snow storm."

 

"Speak for yourself," Chanyeol scoffed. "My flames are a hell of a lot more powerful than you seem to think they are."

 

"Not as powerful as my sunlight," Baekhyun challenged with a stare. He was much smaller than Chanyeol, but he was not intimidated by height. They often got in these small arguments, which resulted in play fights. Sometimes there were even displays of their powers. Sehun liked watching these exchanges. He wondered if he would ever have that level of control over all his gifts. Sometimes when he had nothing to do, he would try to imitate Baekhyun's tricks. But he wasn't familiar with the sunlight power yet. And he hadn't picked up with his training with Chanyeol since leaving Rioda.

 

These days, his practice was up to him if he wanted any. But because he was doing it by himself, he skipped over some other things he found unpleasant. It was inevitable that little accidents happened when no one was instructing him. He shocked Baekhyun once with some electricity. It wasn't a bad shock, but enough to startle him and make him yelp. Sehun had to spend an hour on his knees with his fists raised in the air. They also told him to be careful from then on. He wrote a letter to Jongdae that night as well, apologizing for his slip in control.

 

Mastering his ability to control the sun's rays was much harder. Baekhyun had spent hours with him trying to get him to hold simple beams and glow and produce heat. One thing he had managed to do was make his hair flash a bright white light that startled Baekhyun.

 

"You've got it all wrong!" Baekhyun had shouted. He was not one of the more patient teachers Sehun had ever had. But when Chanyeol stepped in and helped him to focus the heat into one spot, he started to make more progress again.

 

This gift became the most useful gift in his arsenal when he started to grow comfortable with it. He used it to warm himself up on occasion when it got too cold to handle. And now it didn’t burn out of control like it had tried to when he first discovered it.

 

Sometimes Sehun wondered how lucky he had been to find these people when he did. Even when they fought like this, he could still feel the fondness between all of them. When they expressed anger or dissatisfaction with him, he still felt fond. He knew it was only because they wanted him to be a better person. They also wanted to be sure he didn’t end up dead. Whether by accident or not was not the question.

 

"Children," Luhan said, stepping between Baekhyun and Chanyeol. "We need to set a good example for the baby, remember?"

 

The two of them huffed and their argument ended with a laugh. That was one thing that Sehun hated. He hated being the baby. But he was the youngest after all. He only hated the daily reminder of it. Especially when they punished him like a child. Cursing was a no go and he forgot often enough to become familiar with the taste of soap. They put his table manners to the test as well. Not eating at the same time as them allowed them to watch his every move. Now that he knew the rules, he had to drill them into habit. Yixing often slapped his hands with a wooden spoon if he got it wrong.

 

He sometimes wished they were less demanding, but beggars can't be choosers. It was only the formal rules that got him beatings anyway.

 

"We'll head down the mountain," Chanyeol finally agreed. "We'll go around the base. It'll take longer, but it'll be safer."

 

"Good choice," Luhan hummed. Though he said so, he looked to the sky as they left the cave and headed back the way they had come.

 

"Is something wrong?" Sehun asked Luhan while they walked.

 

"Nothing," Luhan hummed, giving Sehun a smile. "Timing is just off. Don't worry about it, Sunshine." He said it with light and humor in his voice, but something was bothering him a little.

 

"Why are you calling me Sunshine all of a sudden?" Sehun asked. "Since when did I say that was okay?"

 

"You didn't get the option," Luhan teased, sticking his tongue out. "You're always so gloomy. I call you Sunshine because it's ironic. You have the gift and yet you don't have anything in common with it."

 

Sehun laughed.

 

"Except when you do that!" Luhan groaned. "Why don't you smile like that more often?"

 

Sehun's laughter died when Luhan mentioned that. "Maybe because I'm not happy very often," he answered. "And..."

 

"And what?" Luhan questioned, trying to get it out of Sehun.

 

"I..." Sehun said with an awkward smile. "I don't feel confident in my smile."

 

Luhan blinked at Sehun and leaned forward to give him a kiss that Sehun hadn't been expecting. It didn't last long, but it happened and it caused him to break into a smile.

 

"Your smile is just fine," Luhan said. "I like it."

 

"Okay, keep the affection to a minimum in public," Baekhyun gagged. "No one wants to see you two getting gross."

 

"I think it's cute," Chanyeol hummed, putting in his two cents. "They don't do it often."

 

"They don't do it at all," Yixing corrected. "This is the first time."

 

"And quit being all virtuous," Luhan tutted. "You had no problem showing off your love bites all the time when it was you."

 

Baekhyun shut up after that. Sehun wanted to say something, but he had to restrain himself. Instead, he went to walk with Baekhyun for a while.

 

"That was mean," he muttered. "I apologize on his behalf."

 

"He's right though," Baekhyun muttered. "I didn't have a problem with it then."

 

"Are you being safe now?" Sehun asked. "I haven't noticed you go off to find anyone."

 

"Because I haven't been going off to find someone," Baekhyun said. "I've been trying to change. Like you have."

 

"Did you find a reason to?"

 

"Yes," Baekhyun whispered. "That reason brought me to you guys and that reason saved me one of my stupid nights." Then he looked at Sehun with a sad smile. "You were right. I am in love with him." He cast a longing glance at the taller man that walked a short way ahead of the group. "But I don't know how to tell him. No time ever seems like the right time."

 

"But what happens if the right time never comes?" Sehun asked. "What if he finds someone else?"

 

"I don't know," Baekhyun admitted. "But right now, I'm too scared to even think about it. I want him to stay by my side for as long as I'm allowed to have him."

 

Sehun didn't know what to tell Baekhyun about that. He was having his own problems trying to define what he and Luhan were and what they could become. Luhan had lofty expectations for Sehun and they daunted him. He didn't know if he could meet them. And if he couldn't, what then? If he became the king Luhan so desperately wanted, what would happen then? Would Sehun be stuck on a throne for the rest of his life and never be able to have time with the ones he loved?

 

"Say something to him," Sehun encouraged. "Before you lose the chance." Then he left Baekhyun to his thoughts and went to walk with Yixing for a while. Sehun often went to Yixing when he was feeling overwhelmed. The moon rabbit never put out anything but calm and he was quiet when he needed to be. Sehun often dragged light conversation out of him about the plants and animals. Yixing was his second teacher after they had left Kyungsoo. He wasn't quite the same, but he was knowledgeable on the things that they could eat and what was poisonous. He also knew about natural remedies such as horsetails for stinging nettles. Sehun always found his conversations with Yixing to be very informative.

 

At about midday, they finally reached the ends of the snow and Chanyeol called for a break. But as he set his things down, he beckoned Sehun over.

 

"We've been neglecting your practice lately," he said. "We haven't been training you since leaving Rioda. You're starting to lose some of that muscle you had built."

 

Sehun already didn't like where this was going.

 

"We've got quite a bit of time to kill between now and when we take a lift up to the Sky Kingdom," Chanyeol continued. "So, I'm putting you through more training."

 

Sehun groaned and didn't know what to say. Chanyeol wasn't amused.

 

"You know the rules. Behave and do your best and you will be fine," he warned. "Understand?"

 

Sehun nodded.

 

"Verbal responses, Sehun," Chanyeol said with a poised finger.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"That's better," Chanyeol said. "We'll start with something I never addressed in the first place. Touch your toes for me."

 

This was already not off to a good start. Sehun bent down to touch his toes, but he couldn't even reach them. He pushed until it hurt, but he couldn't quite reach.

 

"Alright," Chanyeol said, releasing Sehun from the position. Sehun came up with a breath. Chanyeol didn't look pleased with Sehun's lack of flexibility. "I'm making it an order for you to stretch at some point every day. Doesn't matter when. I just want you to do it."

 

"Yes, sir," Sehun said grumpily. "What will I be stretching?"

 

"Everything you can think of," Chanyeol advised. "You're stiff as a board even though your born gift is flexible and fluid. You need to watch it or you won't ever be able to handle it with the same grace that I know your mother possessed. As for your lightning, it would benefit you to build and continue to maintain a bit of muscle. I know you don't much care for exercise, but it will put some kick behind your physical attacks. Then you'll be able to protect yourself and others. That was why you agreed to let it in, yes?"

 

"Yes..." Sehun confirmed. "I never... thought about it that way, though."

 

"As for your sunlight, it's defensive. But you have yet to master it," Chanyeol pointed out. "You could even manipulate it into a weapon when you've done so. That heat was formidable. But there's no sense in letting it run wild. You need to meditate more and become familiar with it. Do that every day as well until you can concentrate light on your weapon. Baekhyun has already shown you how, but your goal is to maintain the weapon for longer periods of time."

 

"Then what are we doing today?" Sehun asked as Chanyeol walked by him. His confusion faded when Chanyeol produced Sehun's wooden sword. Sparring was what he had hoped they wouldn't be doing today.

 

"Let's see how much you remember about posture and grip," Chanyeol said, tossing the sword to Sehun. "Once I'm satisfied, we'll see how much you remember about strategy. Try to keep up."

 

After Sehun showed Chanyeol that he had been practicing stance in his absence, they moved on. Chanyeol spent the rest of their training session pointing out all Sehun's openings. He was a terrible swordsman even with fake equipment. Sehun should have taken Jongdae up on the offer to teach him when he said he would back at Kyungsoo's hut. But he's also pretty sure Kyungsoo wouldn't have let him at the time. Sehun's arm was still healing back then and it might have been too much pressure on the fractured limb.

 

But now Sehun was face down in the dirt every few moments. He had new bruises forming everywhere and he still had to get up. He was using muscles he forgot he had and missed the weeks of rest.0

 

"I'll say one thing for your bony body," Chanyeol said after Sehun had managed one good jab to Chanyeol's ribs. But it hadn't been a hit with a sword; it had been a hit with his elbow. "Your jabs really hurt. But you still leave everything wide open for attack and you're way too slow."

 

That had been Sehun's downfall this time. He hadn't moved fast enough and Chanyeol had been able to get behind him and whack him on the back. When he stumbled forward, he dropped his wooden sword and ended up in the dirt for the fiftieth time.

 

"Maybe you should stop now," Yixing hummed as he came over to apply some healing spells to Sehun's cuts and bruises. "He still has to be able to walk. We're not done traveling today."

 

Sehun breathed in relief and offered up his bruises and the like to Yixing's touch. He felt the relief from the pain, but the ache from his muscles remained. He'd be dead by the time this day ended, but he hadn't incurred any beatings. He wasn't so sure that would remain the same if he was this tired every day.

 

When they made camp that night, Sehun felt like jelly. They had pushed their travels a little farther than usual and made it to the base of the mountain. They took his shoes and cloak back when they finished seeing snow and he was back to being a shivering, pained mess. At the fire that night, though. Sehun hung about as close as he could get without burning himself and did his meditation there. Luhan sat close by with Sehun's cloak and continued to improve upon his needlework.

 

Sehun had told him it wasn't necessary to do so, but Luhan insisted. Sometimes Sehun would hear a little hiss as Luhan pricked his fingers again. It was distracting, and Sehun had to focus extra hard on learning more about his sun powers. He still didn't know what he was looking for, but he had to keep looking. Still, he needed a short breather, so he opened his eyes. When he saw Luhan staring at him, he couldn't help but be a little confused.

 

"Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked.

 

Luhan only leaned forward and smiled at Sehun, kissing him with comfortable ease. Sehun, though surprised, kissed him back. Short and sweet, Sehun had to relish these moments as they happened. When they parted, Luhan ran a hand through Sehun's hair.

 

"Your hair looks like starlight, tonight," Luhan whispered. Sehun felt a rush of something pulse through him and he touched his hair in confusion. Luhan laughed. "It's gone now," he said, removing his hand. "You must have found something."

 

Sehun didn't know what he could have found though. He wasn't sure he knew how to do that again. But he went back into meditation to speak with his abilities again. Luhan never saw Sehun's hair change again that night. It was probable Sehun's desperation for it to happen again hindered him. He wasn't grasping the right strings to control it one more time.

 

During dinner, Sehun began stretching. Everything already hurt from the over exertion today. So, to an extent, the stretching of his muscles both hurt and felt rather nice. Too bad that as soon as morning came, he almost couldn't lift his arms. He had been out of the sparring game for too long.

 

He was so tired, and more was being asked of him every day. He managed to pull himself out of bed and get dressed for morning prayer. Other than that, Sehun had a tough time motivating himself to do anything. He couldn't even pick up his eating utensils.

 

"Eat, Sunshine," Luhan encouraged. "We have to go, and you'll regret it if you don't eat." Sehun knew Luhan was right, but he couldn't bring himself to eat more than a few bites of food. Luhan looked at him and then back at Yixing. "Can you do anything else for him?"

 

"It's not an injury," Yixing said, packing away his things. "He's been sedentary for too long. Think back to when he started this the first time. He was like this then, too. He'll be better in a few days. Though I would recommend a day or two every few days to allow his muscles time to rest. That prevents real injury. I can heal it, but it's better that those injuries don't happen in the first place."

 

Chanyeol nodded. "I was going to give him a break every three days," he acknowledged. "But this he can deal with. Right, Sehun?"

 

Sehun about wanted to throw up. "Yes, sir."

 

Stopping at midday was what Sehun dreaded. Chanyeol asked him to display his progress with touching his toes. Not much had changed in a single day. Then Chanyeol gave him his wooden sword again and they went back to work.

 

Things were almost worse today than they had been the prior day. Sehun felt the familiar ache of muscles and his movements were sluggish. Chanyeol kicked his butt for half an hour. It might have continued for longer if Sehun's fingers hadn't finally decided to let go of the sword.

 

The wooden sword slipped from his fingers without a thought. It thudded to the ground and Chanyeol sighed as he stepped back, waiting. Sehun tried to pick it up, but it was like as soon as the hilt was in his palm, his fingers let it slip away. Sehun's fingers wouldn't close tight enough around it.

 

"That's enough for today," Chanyeol finally said, placing a hand over Sehun's to let him know he could stop. "We'll pick up tomorrow and you can have a rest day the next day."

 

Sehun breathed a sigh of relief, but he made sure to remember his other tasks Chanyeol had assigned. The ache was almost the same as it had been the prior day. He looked forward to stretching though because it helped keep the pain at bay. Yixing tended to his bruises again, but this time he felt like Yixing had tried to keep the pain away. It left Sehun feeling groggy for the entire day. Luhan ended up helping him walk the last mile or so to their camp because he was stumbling so much on the way. He couldn't describe how grateful he was for that.

 

Sehun was hoping for an early night, but he didn't get one.

 

Baekhyun didn't come to him often anymore, but when he did, Sehun expected a rough night. So he was a little surprised when Baekhyun only laid down on his stomach and asked for a tongue. Sehun had looked confused for a moment, but he didn't complain and got down. Baekhyun had been much kinder since the flowers. He had been understanding of Sehun's predicament and all this tiring work.

 

"You know," Baekhyun said, a moan passing his lips as Sehun's tongue delved into him. "One of these days, you'll be flexible. We could play with that."

 

Sehun didn't do anything but make a hum of agreement. His mouth was kind of busy. What was he going to say anyway? Baekhyun was making comments to make Sehun nervous.

 

Baekhyun moaned louder and buried his face in his pillow when Sehun's tongue swiped his walls. Sehun repeated the action and brought a hand up to fondle Baekhyun's balls.

 

"You really need to stop that," Baekhyun groaned. But he didn't swat Sehun's hand away and he didn't move away from the tongue. If anything, Sehun was pretty sure Baekhyun didn't want him to stop at all. Sehun did it again, letting his tongue fuck into Baekhyun with a muffled laugh. "Cheeky bastard."

 

To emphasize the "cheeky" portion of that remark, Sehun brought his other hand up to grope at Baekhyun's ass.

 

"Sehun," Baekhyun moaned, "I swear-"

 

But whatever threat he was going to make drowned in a strangled moan. Sehun's tongue took one more deep dive into Baekhyun's ass and Baekhyun came on his sheets.

 

When he finished, he turned over to fix Sehun with an unhappy though flushed stare. "I'm never going to be nice to you again," he whined.

 

Sehun laughed and dropped himself down next to Baekhyun, feeling good himself. He himself hadn't gotten off, but he didn't need to. He was starting to like this strange relationship he had with Baekhyun. He didn't know what Baekhyun wanted now that he wasn't angry anymore, but he didn't mind that confusion. Baekhyun must have his own reasons.

 

“Will you let me sleep now?” Sehun asked, dropping his head onto his own pillow with a satisfied grin on his face. “I’m still pretty sore.”

 

“You deserve it,” Baekhyun grunted, smacking Sehun’s ass in retaliation.

 

“Rude,” Sehun whined.

 

“You’re the only rude one here,” Baekhyun returned. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be getting your mouth washed out every other night.”

 

“If you weren’t rude right back, though, Chanyeol wouldn't be threatening to make you eat cucumber."

 

"Ugh, don't remind me," Baekhyun groaned. "That shit is nasty." Sehun laughed and snuggled a little closer. Baekhyun gave him a halfhearted push away but gave up soon after. "Big baby."

 

"Quit calling me a baby," Sehun muttered, already easing off into sleep.

 

"It's what you are, though," Baekhyun stabbed. "Or would you rather I call you Sunshine?"

 

"Only Luhan gets to call me that," Sehun said, a little more alert.

 

"Not if I say so," Baekhyun sang. "I can call you Sunshine all i want. And if it bothers you, then I want to even more."

 

"It doesn't bother me per say," Sehun hummed. "It just feels... I don't know. It doesn't feel intimate, I suppose. But it feels personal."

 

Baekhyun didn't say anything to that. In fact, he went so quiet that Sehun was pretty sure Baekhyun had fallen asleep. So instead of talking to no one listening, Sehun closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep.

 

\-----

 

Coming out for breakfast was as normal. The ache was still there in all his muscles and Sehun hated it. He even thought that he preferred the lingering pain from the lashes to this. It was as if his body outright resisted the exercise. It had done it once before and it didn't want to do this again. The muscle pains lasted all day compared to the pains that lasted him only a few hours on a bad day.

 

He finally couldn't take it anymore on the third day of exercise. His break day was the next day, but he couldn't wait for it. His sword had been flung from his hands and he stared at it with hatred.

 

"Pick it up," Chanyeol said, moving on like it were any other time that Sehun had failed. He had been doing better, but he was still no match for Chanyeol's expertise. Sehun didn't move to pick the sword up.

 

"I'm tired," Sehun breathed, knowing this would get him in trouble. But he didn't care. He didn't want to do this anymore. He had been stretching and he had been meditating without issue. But this was different. This hurt and those didn't. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

 

“Sehun,” Chanyeol said, warning. “You know what you’re asking for. Pick it up or else.”

 

“I’d prefer the lashes,” Sehun said, fixing Chanyeol with a defiant gaze. That was his biggest mistake.

 

“Then you won’t be getting lashes,” Chanyeol said. He didn’t elaborate, but he didn’t make Sehun pick up the sword again. He walked off and Sehun sat there wondering what the hell he had just done.

 

\-----

 

Instead of trying to relax, Sehun worried all day about what his punishment could be. But when the time came, no one expected him to submit to foot beatings. He walked around as if on egg shells and almost didn't speak so as not to draw attention to himself. At one point he asked Luhan if he could see the contract. There was a red number under his name, a glaring five, but no one has demanded them.

 

After dinner was when they approached him. He had just finished eating and they all walked up to him, looking grim. Sehun had a bad feeling about this and he couldn't avoid it now. He had made a grave mistake.

 

"Sehun," Luhan said first, sounding worried even before he explained. "No one wanted to do this to you. No one. You respond well to certain punishments for certain things, but some of them you don't. I know this amount of training is painful to start, but it gets better. You have seen that before."

 

"At least the soldiers in training have barracks," Sehun retorted. "I have to keep going. I have to serve all of you night and day no matter how tired I am."

 

"That's part of the punishment you asked for," Chanyeol reminded Sehun with crossed arms. "We judged you, we sentenced you, and you signed a legal contract to do as we say for one year. You're less than four months in and you've already forgotten that."

 

Sehun didn't have anything to say to that, but he knew they were right. He looked away, eyes cast down and biting his lip.

 

"That being said," Baekhyun continued, "we selected punishment we know will be memorable. We know you're going to have a hard time with this one, so let it be a lesson to you. Don't ever make us employ these methods again."

 

"In the cases of pain," Yixing added, "you know we have never given you more than you can handle. It's okay to whine to an extent, but refusing to do something because it hurts a little is unacceptable. Especially when I have done my best to help you."

 

Sehun winced. He realized then how much he had thrown every kindness they gave him back in their faces. If he could, he would have gone back, picked up the wooden sword, and apologized. But he couldn't and he had to accept this punishment now. Whatever it was, they were frightening him by not telling him much else about it.

 

From the folds of his cloak, Chanyeol produced a metal item that seemed vaguely familiar. It looked like a collar, engraved with symbols that frightened him. He had a bad feeling about this.

 

"You have to wear this for five days," Chanyeol said. "It is spelled so that you cannot remove it yourself. Someone else will have to remove it for you."

 

Sehun stepped back, nervous now that he had seen the item they would be using to punish him. "What does it do?" he questioned.

 

"You'll know when you put it on," Chanyeol said. "But just remember: you knew the consequences and you chose to ignore them. Now come here."

 

Sehun didn't immediately comply so Baekhyun grabbed him and pulled him forward. Sehun jerked, but it was too late; Chanyeol snapped the collar around his neck and Baekhyun let him go.

 

As soon as it closed around his neck, Sehun felt the difference. The sun seemed to grow duller, the frightened clouds above him grew still. But the worst part of it was the silence of the wind. He could not hear it. It's sudden departure was noticed deeper than he could describe and he felt his heart break.

 

"What did you do?" he demanded, trying with both hands to get the collar off. "What did you do?!" He was so angry and so frightened, but no wind came to his fingers like it would have.

 

"We have taken away your powers," Chanyeol answered. But Sehun already knew that. He looked inside and he couldn't find his three little clouds of power in the dark. He felt his breath come faster and his knees felt weak beneath him. Where was that familiarity he had always known? Why couldn't he reach it. He collapsed and his hands found their way into his hair, trying to understand. Where were they? He didn't understand.

 

This was different than the bracelet. The bracelet put his gifts to sleep, but he could still feel them. Sometimes, if the energy was desperate enough, Sehun could even get it to react a little. And after everything, he could remove it whenever he wanted. But this was a whole other level. He couldn't feel anything. He couldn't find his gifts at all. And he collar was stuck on him until they deemed his punishment over.

 

His mother's gift to him was gone.

 

He broke down in a fit of sobs. But those sobs escalated to screams of terror. That was the only thing he had left of his mother and now it was gone. He had no connection to his mother anymore.

 

He felt a pair of hands come to his shoulders to comfort him, but he shoved them away in anger. When he looked up, Luhan was staring at him as if Sehun had slapped him. But Sehun didn't care. He needed to get away from here. He needed to get away from them. Without thinking about the consequences, he bolted past them all and into the dark forest.

 

To their credit, they all let Sehun go into the forest. He wanted time to come to terms with this, but that didn't mean he was ever going to be happy about it. They took away the only thing he treasured more than his life. He loved his wind abilities because they brought him closer to the mother he never knew. The woman who bore him in her womb until the day she died giving him life. He loved her even without knowing her and she knew he loved him for the short time she had with him.

 

He finally collapsed under a tree where he curled up on himself and stayed put. He cried and cried and cried until he drained himself of all feeling. But he could still hear that earth shattering silence, and it was going to drive him nuts. They had been right, this hit hard. It was worse than foot lashings. It was even worse than being stuck in the pillory.

 

He wanted to run from it. He wanted to leave and never see them all again. But that wouldn't remove the collar and it wouldn't ease his guilt. Not only that, but Sehun wouldn't last a few days on his own. His bow was back at camp and he wouldn't make it far without a healer like Yixing or Luhan. Knowing his luck, he would run into a boar and would get himself gored in the middle of nowhere. But he didn't want to go back yet if he could help it. He wanted to be away until it got darker. With luck, they would go to sleep and he could pick the least offending tent to sleep in. With even more luck, he wouldn't wake anyone.

 

He didn't know what he was going to do for five days. He couldn't think with this silence and he couldn't stop whimpering for his mother like a lost child. He felt pathetic and at the same time angry. Yes, he had asked for punishment, but wasn't this extreme? He was a prisoner under their watch.

 

Sehun didn't know how long he had been there, but his attention shifted when he heard the sound of cracking twigs. He sat up when he realized it was coming from the direction he had come. He quieted his cries and got up, climbing the tree he had taken shelter beneath before anyone could see him. He hid in the branches and stayed quiet. As he got settled, he heard his name.

 

"Sehun!" Luhan called into the forest. "Sehun, please!"

 

He sounded so hurt and Sehun's heart twisted further, wringing it of any emotion he had left. He thought he might have been falling in love with Luhan, but after all this, he wasn't so sure anymore. If Luhan knew anything about him, it was that his gifts and the memory of his mother were important to him. Take those away from him and he might as well have no purpose at all.

 

"Please come out, Sehun!" Luhan shouted, voice cracking. Sehun could hear the tears in his voice. "Sehun, I'm sorry! Please come out!"

 

But Sehun stayed hidden and Luhan walked on.

 

Even Luhan was not someone he wanted to speak to right now. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe when it was all over. Maybe never. But not now.

 

Sehun ended up propping himself against the trunk and tried to get comfortable. He stayed there until everything grew too dark to see. Luhan never passed that way again and Sehun felt relieved. It was getting cold up there and Sehun had no cloak or shoes with him. Then he added in the certainty that he couldn’t sneak back to camp and get his bedroll. He it was not possible to stay up here all night.

 

He shifted about in discomfort, not pleased with the scraping this tree's bark was doing on his back. He only wanted to spend some time alone and all he got was splinters in his back.

 

A curious tweeting came to his ears and Sehun looked up in time for a bird to land on his shoulder. Great. It was a good thing there were no pools of water around. He was certain to get an earful from a very concerned Taeyeon.

 

"This isn't the time, Taeyeon," he hissed, climbing farther up the tree in search of another branch. The bird flapped wildly about him, calling out as he climbed up and up. "Leave me alone! I'm not going back there!"

 

The bird wouldn't stop. It continued to flap around his head and make lots of urgent twittering noises. Sehun groaned, picking a random branch and trying again to get comfortable. He'd stay out here a little longer until he was sure everyone had gone to bed. However, as soon as he made himself comfortable, he heard a sound that made him cringe. It was the sound of the branch snapping under his weight.

 

He managed to catch the trunk in time to keep himself from plummeting to the ground. His heart was in his throat and he convinced himself he had cheated death. He took a moment to breathe and calm his heart, but the sound of the branch hitting the forest floor was loud. It would definitely call attention to himself. He considered moving before-

 

"Whoa!" a voice yelled from below, surprised by the falling branch. Sehun looked down as he was catching his foot on a solid branch to stabilize himself. There was someone down there with a lantern, holding it up in his direction. "Hey! You didn't have to attack me!"

 

"It was an accident!" Sehun called down. He was already upset and irritable. he didn't need some stranger making it worse.

 

"I was joking," came a laugh. Something in the back of Sehun's head twitched with recognition. "Would you happen to be Sehun?"

 

Sehun narrowed his eyes down at the man. It wasn't like the stranger could see him anyway, but it was the principal of the matter.

 

"Why?" he asked.

 

"Someone is looking for a Sehun," the man responded. "Said he needs to talk to him."

 

"Well, I am Sehun," he finally clarified. "But I have nothing to say to whoever is looking for me."

 

"And why not?" the man asked. "He seemed pretty upset. Was crying when he ran into me, asking if I had seen you."

 

There it was; that twisting of his heart again. He sighed and with great reluctance started to make his way down. Taeyeon had disappeared at some point after the branch broke and Sehun was glad she had. He had told her he would be all right. He had to prove it.

 

"Did he go back to camp?" Sehun asked as he reached the forest floor.

 

"I would assume so," the man said, holding his lantern up to see Sehun's face. The supplied light gave Sehun a face to look at clearly. He blinked when he recognized the same man that had tried to sell him the glowing bracelet. He was a long way from Rioda. "Why are you hiding from him? Is he scarier than I thought? He had a young face."

 

"You have no idea," Sehun said, voice still raw from all the crying he had done in the past few hours. 

 

"You had a fight then?" the man asked. 

 

"You could say that."

 

“You don’t like talking much, do you?” the man asked.

 

“Not with strangers,” Sehun muttered. “Bad run-ins with a few strangers, and the ones I’ve sought out myself aren’t exactly people I keep around.”

 

“Then let me introduce myself,” the man said with a hand thrust forward for a shake. “The name is Minseok, and I’m passing through these woods on the way to Aspal.”

 

“Coincidence,” Sehun muttered, taking Minseok’s hand, “The group I’m with are going to Aspal, too.” He still wasn’t fond of strangers, but for whatever reason, he seemed to like this one. He had been friendly while peddling his wares if a little strange.

 

Sehun seemed to attract strange people.

 

“So you’re still traveling with them, but you’ve hidden yourself in the woods?” A little nosy.

 

“I don’t expect you to understand, but they're punishing me and I think it’s…extreme.” He shivered when he thought about it. The quiet winds weren’t speaking still and it brought the tears back to his eyes.

 

“I wouldn’t like having one of those things around my neck either,” Minseok interjected with a shiver of his own. Sehun took a harder look at him then. If he knew what this item was without Sehun even mentioning it…

 

“Do you have a gift?” Sehun asked.

 

“Yes,” Minseok said with a smile. “Ice and snow. Speaking of which, you should get back to camp. When you’re dressed in so little, you’ll freeze by morning. It’s winter and you’re awfully close to the mountain. You’ll get snowed on before you wake up.”

 

“You think I don’t know it’s winter?” Sehun snapped.

 

"Nope," Minseok said. "I think your mind is foggy right now and it's going to get you killed."

 

"I'm powerless in a lot more ways than one," Sehun spat. "And I just had the only thing my mother gave me taken away from me."

 

"So?"

 

"I'm not foggy, I'm fucking hysterical!" Sehun shouted, the tears returning unbidden. "I'm alone and going back there will get me nothing but beatings and this bullshit. I thought I was improving, but now I'm starting to believe my life doesn't hold value at all. They claim it does, but I don't believe them after today. How can I?"

 

"What did you do to upset them?" Minseok finally asked.

 

"They were making me do strenuous exercise and then making me walk for days. I hurt all over and it never stops. I don't get sleep and I don't want to move when I'm awake. What kind of existence is that supposed to be?"

 

"Wait a minute," Minseok said, holding up a hand. "All of this," he began, indicating the collar around Sehun's neck, "is because you didn't want to exercise?"

 

Sehun blinked. Then blinked again. When Minseok put it that way, it sounded pretty ridiculous. His pride wouldn't admit to the silliness, though. "That's not the point."

 

"Then what is the point?" Minseok asked. "Because as far as I know, you can't remove that collar yourself, and without a good reason, I'm not doing it for you."

 

"The point is that I agreed to be their slave for a year," Sehun grumbled. "Signed a contract and everything to be in their service. Most of it has been fine. I get punished when I break the rules and that's it."

 

"Oh, so it wasn't only the exercise," Minseok concluded. "You're tired of it all aren't you?"

 

"Kind of."

 

"Then why did you agree to it?" Minseok asked.

 

"Because someone I knew gave up her life to save mine and I couldn't take the guilt for living while she died."

 

"So you signed your life away to atone?" Minseok questioned. Then he scoffed. "That was pretty stupid of you. If you signed a contract and it's legal, you can't do anything about it. Which means, I'm not removing that cuff for you."

 

Sehun was about to cry, but then Minseok grabbed him by the back of his shirt and started to haul him away. He flailed at the sudden grip. "I'm also taking you back to them," Minseok told him. "For a year, you're their property. But I can also tell at least someone in your little group cares for you a great deal."

 

"So they say," Sehun growled as he stumbled and struggled to get out of Minseok's hold. But for such a small person, Minseok was strong. "Let go of me!"

 

"Maybe if you had exercised like they wanted you to, you would be as strong as me," Minseok laughed. Sehun hated to admit it, but in this case, keeping up with his exercise in Rioda would have done him a lot of good. More paying attention to Chanyeol’s footwork would have been good as well. It would have helped him avoid more bruises.

 

Minseok dragged him all the way back to his camp where a fire was lit with his four “friends” sat around it. Minseok shoves him forward and Sehun staggered and fell to the dirt. His muscles were still too jelly-like to catch him. He could feel their eyes on him, but he didn’t look up at them. Realization was dawning on him that they had been waiting for him to come back. No matter how late he had stayed out, they would have been up to receive him.

 

“Sehun!”

 

He heard the rapid pounding of approaching feet. Sehun turned his head to cast a menacing glare up at whoever it was that was approaching. It just had to be Luhan. The boy was reaching for him and all Sehun could bring himself to do was slap his hand away before he could touch him.

 

“Don’t. Touch. Me.” he growled. He pushed himself to his feet and passed by a frozen Luhan on his way to the tent he knew Yixing had claimed for the night. Though he imagined Yixing had a thing or two to say, he was less likely to say them than anyone else. Baekhyun was blunt, Chanyeol was the one to assign this torture, and Luhan cared too much. But Yixing was a mystery. He was probably angry at Sehun. He was probably worried for him. He was probably sad for him. He probably ached for him. But Yixing would never say as much when Sehun was still full of emotions himself.

 

There was talk outside and Sehun could hear the distinct sounds of Luhan’s crying. Sehun didn’t care. All he could do was cover himself and try to go to sleep. It didn't happen fast enough. The silence was too deafening.

 

When he heard Yixing enter the tent, there was a different silence; a choking one. He could feel Yixing’s stare on him, but Sehun tried to pretend he wasn’t there and tried to pretend he was asleep. If Yixing had anything to say to him, he could say it in the morning.


	18. Chapter 18

Being woken could almost have been normal. Sehun’s sleep addled mind told him to get up when Luhan came to get him. He missed the red puffiness of Luhan’s eyes and got dressed without saying a word. It wasn’t until they were walking to a pool of water that Sehun woke up enough to remember. The collar was still around his neck and things still held an eerie silence. He couldn't take it. All through morning prayer, the silence distracted him. He couldn't get himself to recite a proper prayer because his mind was still racing. But because it was all silent anyway, Luhan would never know.

 

They hadn't spoken a word though Sehun could feel Luhan's desperation to speak. And every time Luhan made a move to do so, Sehun pulled away. Whatever he had to say, Sehun didn't want to hear it. Sehun would only comply with all of this to keep from getting extra days added to his punishment.

 

"Good morning," a familiar voice hummed as they returned to camp after prayer. It was Minseok. He had set up his tent next to theirs last night after Sehun had gone to bed. "I've been told you are designated cook."

 

Sehun grimaced. "That would be me," he said, ignoring Luhan's stunned expression. Minseok hadn't been the one to take his gift from him, though. He wasn't happy with the man for bringing him back here, but that anger was far less volatile. Luhan could be upset for all he cared. He could still breathe easier than Sehun could right now.

 

He set about making breakfast over the fire Chanyeol had set and got out the plates. He made a little extra so that Minseok could eat and Sehun would still get some when they finished. Everyone trickled out of their tents and didn't say anything about the tense quiet. They all ate and Sehun packed up the things while he waited for his turn to eat. But even when he was finally allowed to eat, he didn't feel all that hungry.

 

He was shaky all day, either from the stress or lack of food or maybe it was some form of magical withdrawal. Was there even such a thing? He scratched at the collar on his neck without thinking about it. The skin around it glowed red from apparent picking and attempted prying. He must have done that in his sleep because Sehun was trying to be good about not touching it.

 

When they got moving, Sehun didn't feel like himself at all. He felt trapped in a body that wasn't his. A body with no magic. When he shot arrows, he couldn't correct the shot without his wind to guide it. They caught less game and it was always getting harder to find. It came straight out of Sehun's mouth. Everyone ate first before him, so they had the fullest bowls, but Sehun got the scraps.

 

Sehun dreaded the stop at midday, but what surprised him was an offered waterskin. It came from a stern looking Chanyeol. Sehun took it without drinking from it, muttered thanks passing his lips. Then he went back to staring at the ground. He tried to think about flowers and their meanings to drown out the constant silence. It didn't work so well.

 

"Remember your stretches and meditation today," Chanyeol reminded him. Then he left Sehun to himself. He would keep his word that today was his day of rest. But Sehun didn't know why Chanyeol still wanted him to meditate. He couldn't feel anything inside of him. His powers were in hiding or gone or not where they should be. He couldn't learn anything from them if he didn't know where they were.

 

Stretching was a decent distraction, however. He took his time going over every muscle he could think of. He worked them taught and waited for them to relax into whatever position he was putting them. Because he felt as if he had all the time in the world, he continued until his muscles screamed at him. But even this methodical torture wasn't enough to take away the constant noise of silence. He spent the last fifteen minutes of their rest in quiet tears, curling himself up at the base of a rock. He was only disturbed when they needed to move. Otherwise, no one bothered him.

 

Sehun continued on, but at some point on the first day, something in him snapped. He couldn't do this. He didn't want to do this. It hurt worse than any pain he had ever felt before. The pain of losing Taeyeon had been the closest, but this was still worse by far. He had always had that one thing from his mother and he had believed nothing but death could take it away. Now he wanted to be dead. He wanted nothing more than to slip away and forget this ever happened. But he was still painfully alive.

 

"We need to stop," he heard Minseok say. Then there were hands on his arms and a pair of eyes searching him as the group came to a halt ahead of them. Sehun looked back into those eyes without seeing and broke down. It started slow, a single tear first before more and then a scrunching face, trying to hold it all back. Next was the first quiet sobs and then full on heart wrenching screams of all the emotion that bubbled up in him.

 

He didn't say what he was thinking, but in this moment, he hated all of them and he didn't want to live. That much was clear to all but Minseok who held Sehun in a tight grip. No one else got that privilege. Only Minseok had spoken to Sehun today beyond a few words. Only Minseok had been able to take his hand and move him along. So Minseok was the one to sit him down and stroke his hair while Sehun's tough exterior melted to that of a child.

 

"Sehun, listen to me," Minseok hushed. He was firm though not unkind. "Please, try."

 

Sehun couldn't quiet his sobs long enough to respond, but he did try to hold them down at least a little bit. He looked at Minseok, the tears still in his eyes and the cries still leaving his lips, but he tried.

 

"By the time we reach Aspal, you will have your powers back," he said. "I am here to promise you that. So do not worry. You can hold on for a few days, right?" Sehun didn't know if he could or not. He felt like he couldn't right now, but he supposed another four days of this couldn't be any worse than it was now. Despite the urge to shake his head, Sehun ended up nodding. Minseok smiled at him and Sehun let more tears fall. "That's a good boy," Minseok purred as he pulled Sehun into a comforting hug. Sehun didn't stop crying, but he quieted to something less broken.

 

The relief that the others felt was almost visible, but at the same time, they had nothing to say. It did not settle well with them that a near stranger appeared closer to Sehun than them.

 

That night, there was loud talk outside of the tent Sehun had laid down in. He had made dinner, but then he went to bed instead of eating. He was stuck in a loop of depression, and everyone knew it. Earlier in the day, he swore his dagger had winked at him in the light of the sun. He didn't make a habit of sleeping with weapons, but tonight he made a conscious decision to leave it outside.

 

"Maybe we should end this," Luhan whispered from outside.

 

"If we end it, he'll walk away with no concept of consequences," Chanyeol told Luhan.

 

"Don't you see this is killing him?" Luhan questioned. "It's only been a day and he looks terrible. He's going to die at the rate he's going."

 

"He will not," Chanyeol insisted. "He will pull through like he always has and he'll be a better, stronger person for it."

 

"He doesn't speak to anyone. He isn't eating. He's heartbroken, Chanyeol."

 

"He knows this is his fault," Baekhyun interjected. "He knows deep down that he deserves this and he'll be okay. I promise, Luhan. We won't let his dark thoughts take him from you. From us."

 

"How can you promise that?"

 

"Because the one blessing we have in this case is another mouth to feed," Baekhyun snorted. It was a clear attempt at trying to lighten the mood.

 

"I heard that!" Minseok's voice came from somewhere beyond their conversation. "You love me!"

 

Everyone laughed, the solemnness of the moment broken. They all knew Sehun was safe in his tent and couldn't be doing anything to himself in there. Sehun sighed to himself and fell into sleep before they could tell him to do anything else.

 

\-----

 

Nightmares plagued his sleep all night. In one, he was back in Falita on the day of his arrest. The feeling of powerlessness surrounded him as the two men and the maid attacked him. Only, in this alternate version of reality, they got what they wanted. His powers never came to him.

 

In another, Sir Choi beat him to a bloody pulp before throwing him to a room of wolves. Again, Sehun's powers didn't come to him and he was too weak to save himself.

 

In the last nightmare, he was bound to a wooden post and people tossed wood into a large pile at his feet. They littered the wood with kindling and dry leaves before bringing a torch forward. Sehun screamed as the wood caught and escalated to a blaze.

 

The fear did not choke his screams, and his powers never came.

 

He woke in a cold sweat at some point in the night. Yixing looked down at Sehun with startled eyes as he shook Sehun's shoulders to wake him.

 

"Sehun, wake up!" he hissed. Sehun's eyes widened with the urgency of Yixing's tone and he sat up.

 

"What's wrong?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. Then someone pulled their tent flap back and Sehun could see everyone out of their tents. They wore similar expressions of shock as they stood in front of their tent entrance. "Why are you all up?"

 

"Sehun, you were screaming in your sleep," Yixing informed him.

 

Sehun collapsed back against his bedroll and turned over, trying not to look at any of them. "Sorry," he muttered. Not like he could help it. He hadn't felt safe since they took his power yesterday. And his dreams held too much darkness. All he wanted was to sleep.

 

"Sehun, get up."

 

That was Luhan's voice. Sehun sighed, not wanting to get into any deeper trouble. He opened his eyes and stood, stepping out of the tent at Luhan's asking.

 

"Come with me," Luhan ordered. Then he walked away from camp with a stride that brokered no argument. Sehun followed, feeling the rest of them staring after him as he went.

 

They walked for what felt like a long time and Sehun wondered where the hell they were going. But he refused to be the first one to speak. He didn't want to break in front of Luhan like he had earlier in front of everyone. But finally, Luhan brought him to a large clearing. It was a place where he could see the sky and all the winter stars that were above them. It was cold, but Sehun almost didn't notice it when Luhan stopped in front of him and waited.

 

"This is why no one wanted to do this to you," Luhan said, voice broken with tears still not shed. "Chanyeol said it would be hard for you, but not like this. He said it would be like a constant grating. Something annoying and unsettling and eventually you might have a meltdown. But this is so much worse than we imagined. Any of us. This is-"

 

"Torture," Sehun finished for him. "Yes. This is torture, but torture with only the purpose of getting me to obey."

 

"We haven't laid a hand on you," Luhan said, the first tears falling down his pale cheeks. "But you act as if we have stabbed you in many places and still kept you alive. Which makes me believe we've missed something. Why do you react so strongly to this? We have taken your powers before. Is this not similar to the bracelet? You handle that well."

 

"Why do you care?" Sehun questioned, feeling a sudden flash of anger. "Why do you care the extent of the effect it has on me? Why should it matter as long as it works and gets me to comply? Because I can promise that I won't rebel like that ever again if this is what waits for me."

 

Despite the rise in his volume and the obvious anger, Luhan's answer was too quiet.

 

"I care because I love you, Sehun," Luhan whispered. The stunned silence between them was enough for Luhan to know he now had Sehun's attention. He gave Sehun a sad smile and continued. "I've loved you for quite a while now. Even before you bathed me. Even before I told you that you would be king. Just like I picked you to be king, I picked you as the person I wanted to remain beside forever."

 

“Then you have made a poor choice,” Sehun muttered. He ignored the part of his heart that was elated to hear Luhan’s confession. He ignored the happy butterflies that sprang into his stomach. In fact, he stamped them out before he could change his mind. Because Sehun was about to lie through his teeth and it was going to destroy him. “I don’t love you back and I will not be your king. I’m going to the sky kingdom to find Taeyeon’s brother and fulfill my promise. That’s the only reason I’m still here. And when I’m done and my contract with all of you is served, I’ll disappear into the hills and never think of any of you again!”

 

Luhan slapped him, but it was not out of anger like the last one had been. It was out of hurt. Sehun resisted the urge to rub away the pain, because he had deserved that for the lie. But when Sehun looked into those eyes, he saw something he hadn’t seen in quite a while. That fire. The smile Luhan gave him was bitter and sad, but the fire did not go out and Sehun knew Luhan hadn’t bought a word he said.

 

“I’ll give you until we go to the lifts to take that all back,” Luhan said. He seemed surprised by how stable his voice was. “Because the lie you just told me is unconvincing. However, I can’t be expected to stick around for you without getting anything in return. I’m here on a mission, but if my mission proves too difficult for me, someone else will do it and I can’t let that happen.”

 

Sehun didn’t understand, but he wasn’t about to ask. He was still too angry. “Fine, but when we go to the lifts and I still haven’t changed my mind, don’t come crying to me.”

 

“Fine.” But then Luhan pulled on Sehun’s hand, yanking him down onto the grass with a heavy thud and an “oof” as he hit the ground. Then Luhan was down beside him. Sehun made to get up, but Luhan pulled him back down. “You’re not going to get any sleep in a tent,” he said to Sehun as if it were an excuse to stay there.

 

“And you think I’ll get any rest out here?” Sehun questioned. “It’s freezing.”

 

“That’s why I’m here.” Then Luhan pulled himself on top of Sehun and fixed him with a stare. Sehun couldn’t help but stare back at him, confused. He had been so angry only seconds ago, and now he stared at Luhan and wondered when. When exactly had been his moment to fall in love? Because right now, he couldn’t lie to himself. He was in love and angry and sad and hurt and he still wanted nothing more than to kiss Luhan and apologize.

 

“Get off me,” Sehun grumbled instead.

 

“No.” Luhan responded. Sehun sighed and dropped his head to the grass, looking up at the stars. Luhan clung a little closer, dropping his head to Sehun’s chest. “You never told me why this hurts you so much.”

 

Sehun didn’t speak right away, but he gave in and wrapped a hand around Luhan’s back. His hand slipped casually under the hem of Luhan’s shirt. “You took away my mother’s only gift to me,” he finally answered. Luhan froze over him, finally understanding. Sehun continued. “And it feels different from the bracelet. It feels like her gift is never going to come back. I’ve never felt so alone before.”

 

“But you’re not alone,” Luhan said, squeezing Sehun in his tight grip. “You have us. You have me.”

 

“When you took it away, it didn’t feel like it anymore.”

 

“Sehun, we didn’t want to do this to you.”

 

“Then why did you?”

 

“Because you asked us to give you what you deserve. As sorry as I am, this is what you asked of me.”

 

“Taking away my only connection to my mother?” Sehun questioned in disbelief.

 

“Your inaction took away Baekhyun’s mother, did it not?” Luhan reminded Sehun. That was worse than a slap in the face. “That’s why you wanted to atone in the first place, yes?”

 

Sehun hadn’t thought of that, but Luhan was right. This was exactly what Sehun had asked for. Now this particular punishment for not following instructions was a little too perfect. Sehun felt ashamed of himself for not seeing it sooner. Maybe it had been an accident, but Chanyeol had picked the right punishment. It had gotten a response from Sehun and he wouldn’t be challenging anyone else after this.

 

Sehun felt like crying and he stared up at the sky while he remained silent. Luhan didn’t continue and instead ran soothing hands through Sehun’s hair.

 

“No one has told you, have they?” Luhan asked, finally coming to some realization.

 

“Told me what?” Sehun asked, relaxing into those hands despite what he wanted to do. “I haven’t exactly been speaking to anyone since you guys slapped this on me.”

 

“That’s right,” Luhan hummed, brushing the hair back from Sehun’s forehead. “Well, let’s say that I’m seeing starlight in more places than the sky. Does that make this a little easier?”

 

Sehun reached up to finger his own hair, his fingers meeting Luhan's. It didn’t feel any different than usual and he couldn’t see it like Luhan could. However, the knowledge that something of his mother was still there made him feel a tiny bit better.

 

“A little,” he answered, taking a breath. But his breath caught in his throat and he wanted to cry all over again. He swallowed and the tears left him for now.

 

“Will you try to not be mad at everyone now?” Luhan questioned. “They’re worried about you.”

 

Sehun didn’t answer, but he pushed Luhan off of him finally and got up. He could have walked away. He could have gone back to camp or gone for a walk, but he reached for Luhan’s hand and pulled him up.

 

"I'm not ready to talk to them yet," Sehun said as he stood with Luhan. "I'm still plenty upset, but you're right. I asked for this and this punishment is appropriate. But I'm having a hard time taking it."

 

"We knew that would happen," Luhan said. "Anyone born with a gift like yours misses it when it disappears. There are plants that eliminate its presence for a few days as well. Sometimes they get ingested by mistake, but it always comes back. We have not destroyed your gift. We have only hidden it from you. Remember that."

 

Sehun nodded. "I'll try to," he said. "But I cannot promise more panic attacks won't happen again."

 

"I know," Luhan said with a nod. "But will you let me comfort you next time?"

 

"We will see," Sehun muttered. "Minseok was the first to notice last time. I don't know what he saw, but he saw it before I even started to panic."

 

"Minseok knows many things it seems," Luhan said with a sigh. "He might know a few things more that we are not sure of yet."

 

"What has he told you?" Sehun asked, heading back to the camp; his steps slow. He wondered if everyone was still up or if they had gone back to bed knowing that Luhan would take care of him. They had to go in the morning and everyone needed their rest.

 

"A few things," was Luhan's vague answer. "He knows someone like you." Luhan didn't elaborate on that no matter how much Sehun asked. It was as if there was some secret that Luhan was not telling him. "Anyway, we will reach Aspal in a few days and your punishment shall be over. Can you hold on until then?"

 

"Maybe," Sehun said, unconvinced by even his own answer. "It won't be easy, but maybe. With lots of distractions."

 

"What kind of distractions?" Luhan asked.

 

"Well," Sehun said with slight amusement. "You did just tell me you loved me."

 

"If you're looking for sex-"

 

"I'm not," Sehun assured him. "Not necessarily, anyway. Affection more than anything. I'm learning that I like bringing others pleasure, though. Not a lot of people anymore, but I would like to learn how to take care of you. Take care of you in more ways than the physical alone."

 

"We shall see," Luhan said, not quite so amused. "Affection is one thing, but sex is another thing all together."

 

"Have you ever even-"

 

"Once," Luhan answered before Sehun could even finish his question.

 

"With whom?" Sehun questioned in irritation. "You always got mad at me when I would sneak off to go find someone. Now you're telling me you actually have taken part?"

 

"It wasn't the same," Luhan defended, a bright flush crossing his cheeks. "We grew kind of close and i got curious. He only indulged me."

 

"Who then? Did you grow close to someone in Rioda? Or... or is it someone in our group?"

 

Luhan's silence was enough of an answer.

 

"It was someone within our group," Sehun concluded.

 

"Yes, all right?" Luhan admitted, flushing a bright red at the conversation. "It just happened."

 

"Who was it?" Sehun asked, feeling his jealousy rear its ugly head. He didn't even have a right to feel jealous over this. What Luhan did with other people wasn't Sehun's business.

 

"I think you have a pretty good idea," Luhan muttered.

 

Sehun gave it a moment of thought. It wouldn't have been Baekhyun. Baekhyun only comes to Sehun when he had needs. Not to mention Baekhyun and Luhan had clashed a few times. Chanyeol could be an option. But Baekhyun also had his eye on Chanyeol. Luhan wouldn't dare cause friction like that. Which left Yixing.

 

"No way," Sehun said in disbelief. "You got Yixing to agree to that?"

 

"I was curious!" Luhan defended. "I dropped in from out of the sky and you expect me to have any concept of what sex feels like?"

 

"Good point," Sehun said with a laugh.

 

"And you were..."

 

"Unable."

 

"Or unwilling," Luhan added. "But I guess I'll never know because I never asked."

 

"Yeah," Sehun hummed. "But either way, I'm still curious what exactly you said to Yixing to get him to agree."

 

"He understood," Luhan said right up. "He knew what it was like to be curious about that kind of thing. Said he had asked his master once what it felt like and his master had offered to show him if he wished. So Yixing extended the same courtesy to me."

 

"And?" Sehun prodded. "What did you think? Would you do it again?"

 

"Absolutely," Luhan said with a straight face. Sehun laughed and Luhan found that curious. "Would you not if you could choose to give it up?"

 

"I don't know if I would give it up completely," Sehun admitted. "It feels good when you do it with the right person. But I could do without it as well." Then he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed by the confession. His fingers ran over the metal collar and he shivered. "I don't look at people and think about whether or not I would go to bed with them if given the choice. I can understand what a person looks for, but sometimes that gets scrambled too. I start to think about if I can please them in any way other than the obvious."

 

"So you're a giver," Luhan said with a smile. "You like making other people happy, but sex isn't the way to your heart."

 

"It's not, but I can promise you that many people think it's the way to everyone's heart." Sehun grunted. "That's why so many people can make money off selling themselves. People want to feel good, but many still want to feel loved."

 

"Is that what you want?" Luhan asked. "To feel loved?"

 

Sehun stared at the ground as they walked. "Probably."

 

"And how do you feel loved?"

 

Sehun didn't answer with words, but he took Luhan's hand in his and they walked back to the camp in near silence.

 

Everything was quiet upon their arrival at the camp. Everyone had gone back to sleep in their own tents and the fire was nothing but dying embers. Luhan was about to go to his tent with Chanyeol when Sehun pulled him back by the hand. Sehun didn't give his anger time to make him second guess this. He pulled Luhan into a kiss, something to keep his mind off the quiet. Luhan, though surprised, didn't resist and instead responded. He closed his eyes and let Sehun take whatever comfort he needed from him before he finally let go. Their hands lingered a bit before separating and Sehun felt heavy as he walked back to his tent with Yixing.

 

He laid back down on his bedroll, trying to make as little noise as he could so that he didn't wake Yixing. But the moon rabbit never ever stirred once while Sehun got himself settled.

 

Sleep didn't come easy to Sehun. This was only the second night that he had to sleep without his powers and he was still struck dumb by the silence. It sang like a chorus of banshees around him. The winter winds howled around their camp, but they did not speak to Sehun. For all he knew, the wind was dead or no longer a friend to him. All its magic had been sucked dry with the collar around his neck. Sehun was ordinary.

 

The one thing that he had wished was that if he had to hide his gifts growing up, why had he not had one of these. If he had gotten used to not having his powers at such an early age, he wouldn't be this frightened of not having them. But here he was, afraid of returning to sleep only to endure more nightmares. He did not want to wake screaming again. He did not want to be that burden, but he was.

 

Sehun looked over at Yixing again and noticed his peaceful expression. He wondered how he had treated Luhan during their night together. It was not something they had done out of love, but it was not like he and Baekhyun either. They were not seeking to ruin each other. They were seeking answers. These days as Sehun grew less and less interested in sex, he wondered what he was looking for. When he asked to take care of Luhan, what did he want? Was it time? Was it a future with him?

 

Sehun had once told Luhan that he couldn't see a path ahead for him. Did he want to share his path with Luhan? Was he looking for the love that people described while being intimate with someone? Maybe. But he had felt loved at home with his father as well. He had felt loved with every meal made for him and every blanket tucked over his shivering body in the winter. He had felt it when his father carried him on his back to the mountains to hide his wind powers. He had felt it when his father took him in his arms and jumped with him into the river to save his life. So why did he feel so loveless here, even when friends were around him, watching out for him in silence?

 

Maybe it was because love at home with his father didn't require a lot of beatings. But it probably should have. Taeyeon had only ever disciplined him once and it had been enough. She gave him a constant supply of reasons to improve upon himself and had given him light. Here, he was looking for her hope and he didn't know what he would do after this. When he found her brother, what would he do? He wouldn't be able to stay with his friends forever.

 

Chanyeol often had things to do. He spent every spare minute making good on things the crown prince had asked of him. He was getting more and more anxious to get to the Sky Kingdom by the day and it was taking a visible toll on him. Maybe that was why he was so quick to get angry these days.

 

Yixing belonged to Kai, the Moon Witch, but he had allowed Yixing to continue on the journey with him. But how long would Yixing follow them for? Someday he had to go back to Kai, right?

 

Baekhyun was a true mystery. At first, Sehun understood that he had nowhere to go and he had grown fond of Chanyeol, so he tagged along. But where would he go when their journey to the Sky Kingdom was over? Would he go with Chanyeol back to the crown prince and request work?

 

Luhan said he had a mission. That was what was keeping him near Sehun. He claimed Sehun would be the next king of the Sky Kingdom and he was going to fight tooth and nail to get him there. All Sehun wanted was to find Taeyeon's brother and be done with it all. But despite him knowing where everyone else was going, Sehun had no idea what he was going to do. When he got through with everything, he would no longer have direction.

 

He couldn't return home. That would get him killed if the rebellion failed. But he had to give Taeyeon a proper burial and bring the item Kai asked for. He only had a few months to figure that out. That would have to be what he did first. But even then, that was a journey to Baekhyun's old home and Sehun had no idea where that was.

 

Sehun sighed, trying to block out the silence around him and tried to go back to sleep. He needed to try. If he didn't, he'd wake up in the morning feeling less like himself than he already did. With every passing minute, Sehun realized he couldn't afford this punishment ever again.

 

When he woke in the morning, Sehun felt strange. He got up as if he were almost sleep walking even though Luhan had shaken him awake. His vision felt fuzzy and he thought he might fall over at any moment. He got dressed before Luhan dragged him away to morning prayer. He almost couldn't keep himself upright as he prayed.

 

It wasn’t until he nearly tipped over their cook pot that Yixing seated him and gave him a look over.

 

"What's wrong with him?" Baekhyun questioned.

 

"I'm not sure," Yixing muttered. "He seems to be fine from a medical standpoint except perhaps a little sleep deprived."

 

"This isn't normal, though," Luhan insisted.

 

"You think I'm not aware of that," Yixing bit back. "Medically, he's fine. He's not in any immediate danger. But we need to get him some food and give him some time in a cloak. He might be suffering from a little bit of mental shock."

 

"From not having his gifts?" Minseok asked.

 

"It's possible," Yixing said with a nod. "We knew this would be hard on him. But no one knew to what extent it would drag him." Luhan looked saddened by the words. Yixing patted his shoulder. "He'll be fine. Just go grab his cloak. Chanyeol, can you finish breakfast?"

 

"Of course," Chanyeol said, calm as ever. He took over where Sehun had left off. Sehun hadn't gotten very far before they sat him down.

 

"Kid needs to lighten up," Baekhyun muttered. "It can't be that bad."

 

"Have you ever had your powers taken from you?" Yixing asked without looking at him. He kept his focus on Sehun and checked his pulse.

 

"No," Baekhyun admitted with a shrug. "But it's not like he or I use them all the time."

 

Luhan snorted as he returned with Sehun's cloak. He draped it over Sehun's shoulders to keep him warm. "We'll put the collar on you for five minutes when Sehun finishes with it. You'll be changing your tune." Baekhyun didn't appear to believe them, but he still seemed worried about Sehun. For the first time in a number of months, Sehun got to eat first. They gave him a full bowl of food and told him to eat it slow so he didn't make himself sick.

 

Sehun woke up more as he ate the food, spiced with something special. It was probably some herb that Chanyeol put in there to calm him. At least the food tasted good. Sehun finally took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were clear of all fog. He blinked a few times and looked at the concerned faces around him.

 

"What?" he asked, as if waking from a dream. "I didn't wake screaming again, did I?"

 

So many words coming out of his mouth startled the group. Sehun hadn't spoken a word that he wasn't required to speak all day yesterday. Now he was talking to them again.

 

"You're..." Baekhyun began, uncertain. "You're not...mad at us anymore?"

 

"Plenty angry," Sehun spat. "But you're all looking at me funny and I would like to know what exactly happened to me."

 

"I think you went through a little bit of shock," Yixing said. "Keep the cloak on for now. We can take it back when we move out." Sehun didn't argue and gripped the cloak a little tighter.

 

"That better be soon," Minseok said. "There's a winter storm coming and we need to move before it hits."

 

"And how can you be so sure?" Baekhyun asked.

 

"Because I can feel the snow getting ready to drop," Minseok said before sticking his tongue out. "Now quit being rude you little shit."

 

"Little!" Baekhyun cried, unhappy with the descriptor.

 

"Worry about your pride later, Baekhyun," Chanyeol said with a pat on the head. "Let's clean up camp."

 

Sehun didn't even ask if he was supposed to help. He shrugged off the cloak after finishing his food and got to work putting things away. There was a collective look cast between the rest of the group. But Sehun seemed to be back to normal for the most part and as long as he wasn't passing out, he seemed to be fine. Minseok shrugged and got to work with him. Between the two of them, the camp was almost torn down before anyone else could say anything. Sehun didn't know what they would make him do that day, but he wanted to get these days over with.

 

They swiftly left the area and didn't stop until midday when they took their break again. Sehun wasn't allowed rest. Chanyeol tossed his wooden sword at his feet and looked at him with expectations in his eyes. Sehun stared at it for a moment before he picked it up and got up. He didn't want to, but it was far worse to imagine spending more days with this collar on. From here on, he would treat lashes as if he were being punished with this again. He would learn to fear breaking the rules again. He would respect the wishes of Chanyeol and the others again.

 

He was still sore from the prior days of training, but it was better after his day of rest. He took more bruises and landed on his back and his knees more times than he could count. However, his anger was fuel for landing a few solid blows to Chanyeol. It was a small improvement.

 

Increasing his flexibility was a slow process. Chanyeol got him to touch his toes once with his help. He pushed Sehun down gently until his fingers grazed the ground.

 

"You want to be able to touch your palms flat to the floor," Chanyeol said, finally giving Sehun a goal to reach. "And you want to aim for as close to a split as possible. Anything you can improve upon will be a benefit to your grace. Your wind abilities need grace to excel."

 

"I know," Sehun muttered.

 

"Go get some water," Chanyeol instructed. "I'll give you five minutes, and then we need to go."

 

That was the first night Sehun forgot his meditation and stretching. After they had set up camp, Sehun had promptly collapsed into bed, hoping for a short nap. But his short nap turned into hours of sleep. He woke up to throbbing muscles and someone shaking him. It was Yixing, and he was frowning down at him.

 

"You've been assigned ten lashes for missing your individual training," he said. He pulled Sehun into a seated position, causing him to groan. He got up slowly, his entire body refusing to cooperate. He endured the lashes, but the piercing silence he heard still bothered him more.

 

Even after punishment, Sehun was still expected to complete his training tasks. Chanyeol watched as he stretched and meditated. But when he finished, Chanyeol ruffled his hair and told him he was doing a good job. Left alone, Sehun took the meal that he had missed and ate in silence. He stared up at the sky, this night covered in ominous looking clouds. No stars in sight.

 

Luhan came and sat by him while he ate. He looked up at the dark sky with him, resting his head on Sehun's shoulder. It was enough to distract Sehun for now.

 

Days continued like this until he was on his last day of wearing the collar. They would reach Aspal the next day, but the collar was coming off that night. Sehun had been getting fidgety and he always looked to noises as if startled. He picked at the collar worse than ever while he slept and couldn't help it when tears came unbidden to his eyes. He wanted his powers back. Yixing tied a pillow case around his dominant hand to discourage picking at it further.

 

"Leave it alone, Sehun," Luhan urged, pushing Sehun's hand away from the collar. "It'll be off tonight."

 

"But I want it off now!" Sehun retorted. "I want it gone!"

 

"You've been doing well these past few days," Luhan said softly. "Don't make me give you another day."

 

"But-"

 

"Sehun," Luhan said, warning him. "I'm serious. Quit making it worse. You're almost done."

 

Sehun shut his mouth and the tears came again. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration and tried to breathe deeper to keep himself calm. His freedom from this was so close he could almost taste it, but it still felt so far out of his reach. He dropped the subject, but he did not appear to feel well as he continued to walk on.

 

He was lucky he had a rest day today. If he had to push through anymore bruises, Sehun didn't know what he would do. Chanyeol only sported a single one on his rib cage and it wasn't fair. Chanyeol had complimented him on his improvements, but he still said Sehun was too slow. A week of doing this had only dulled the pain but it had not gone away. Sehun blamed his lack of speed on his sore and aching body.

 

"You'll stop feeling that burn soon," Yixing had promised as he took care of his bruises the day before. "You remember. Your body grows used to it. And then you'll become stronger again."

 

"I can learn to protect people," Sehun muttered.

 

"Not with your sword skills the way they are," Chanyeol said. "But you will learn."

 

"What about using my bow?" Sehun asked.

 

"Sehun, I have been teaching you to defend yourself," Chanyeol told him. "I play the part of the attacker because I have been brought up to know that I could end up in a fight someday. You have no experience and no heart to be on a battlefield. A bow only has one use when it's aimed at someone."

 

"You don't think I can do it," Sehun said, feeling like he were being talked to as a child.

 

"No, I don't," Chanyeol said with a sigh.

 

"And why not?" Sehun asked. "I kill animals to be eaten all the time. I skin them and I remove the innards and bones all by myself."

 

"Animal and people are not the same," Chanyeol insisted. "Yixing is not a good example."

 

Yixing snorted, but he smirked and showed how amused he was by the comment.

 

Sehun sighed but at least it made sense. It would have been easy for Chanyeol to take Sehun's talent with a bow and arrow and turn it into a weapon. Even though he had been defending his own masculinity, Sehun was also not sure he could take human life. He would have to be fighting for his life to be able to do it. It would not be easy to justify to himself. If he couldn't justify Taeyeon giving up her life for his, how was he going to believe that he had killed for a good reason?

 

Baekhyun stepped up then. "When you get your powers back, we can try a few things to defend yourself with light. You'll need it if you hope to never kill anyone."

 

There was a steely look in Baekhyun's eye that told Sehun the other boy had had to do such things in the past. But since they had known each other, Sehun had never seen any of these methods. He nodded.

 

Sehun had one more panic attack before they removed the collar. He was so anxious that he didn't think about how close he was. Instead, he thought about every passing minute. Every second felt like it stretched on for far longer than it should. He was waiting for the sun to pass behind the looming mountain. But before it could even kiss the crest, Sehun curled into himself and cried quietly in his tent. He wanted it to be over.

 

He didn't ask for someone to take care of him. He let it pass and let the silence consume him. He didn't know how long he had been there, but someone came in to get him much later. He had stopped crying, but he was still curled tightly in on himself. His arms were around his chest, trying to keep himself warm and make himself feel protected.

 

It was Minseok that took Sehun by the shoulders and led him outside to cook dinner. He could manage that. He made a stew out of the meat from the boar Chanyeol had struck down earlier that day. It smelled good, but he wasn't all that hungry. When they allowed him to eat, he could barely eat more than a spoonful because he was so anxious. Luhan had to coax him into eating more, but Sehun insisted that if he were to eat more, he would throw it back up again.

 

And then it was time. The group huddled around him and Minseok took his arm to have him step forward. Then there were fingers on the back of his neck, undoing the clasp. After all the picking Sehun had done, the area around the collar was red and swollen. Under Minseok's gentle fingers, the collar came off with a little lift.

 

The relief was almost instant. Sehun could feel his powers rush to return to him. He could hear it again. The wind whipped to life and spoke softly in his ear again. He could feel its gentle presence within him once more and he could call on it if he so wished. But the dull electric feeling under his skin was more palpable than before as well. So was the warm heat of the sun’s rays thrummed through his veins. It was all there again.

 

He started crying on the spot. The feeling of such relief was so overwhelming. He couldn’t believe he finally had it back; his mother’s gift. His best friend since birth. Everything.

 

Minseok's strong arms came to his aid as soon as he started to collapse to the floor. They caught him before he could hit with more force. Then Luhan was touching his face and looking at him with worry.

 

“Sehun, calm down, please,” he breathed, trying to remain calm as well. But Sehun couldn’t. He couldn’t remember how. He felt a little bit sick. He was shivering with it so violently that he felt the power might still leave him. But Minseok’s arms tightened around him and Sehun could barely hear what he was saying.

 

“Relax, Sehun,” Minseok urged. “You know this feeling. You know what it is.”

 

Sehun didn’t understand though. He was just happy to have his power back. But as he tried to calm his mind and clear it, he realized he was shivering with cold, not excitement. He was shivering so hard he was finding it hard to breathe and his arms had instinctively come to wrap himself up. He felt more than a little sick now. He wanted to throw up.

 

“Don’t panic,” Minseok said, a little firmer. Then he repeated, “Relax. You know what it is.”

 

And when he tried to relax, Sehun finally understood. Minseok was right. He did know what this was. He had felt this intrusion before. He took a breath and closed his eyes, allowing himself time to go into himself and look around.

 

There was now a fourth cloud of magic. A very cold magic.

 

“Breathe,” Minseok continued. “Allow it to be yours. Allow yourself to accept it as a part of you. It will go quietly.”

 

Sehun found this difficult like he had with all the others. But when he opened his heart to it, the little cloud seemed to shiver with joy before it lay silent and peaceful. The shivers Sehun experienced decreased in intensity before they completely disappeared.

 

When he recovered enough to open his eyes, Sehun’s relief and excitement had disappeared. In its place sat utter confusion. He looked about himself and realized he no longer felt cold. In fact, despite the chilly breeze, he was rather warm.

 

“What happened?” Sehun asked, voice hoarse. The rest of the group looked on with stunned interest as well.

 

“You absorbed another gift.”

 

Sehun turned to Minseok, a million questions in his eyes.

 

“I…” he stuttered, “I absorbed a gift?”

 

“Mine to be exact,” Minseok said with a smile and a slight nod. “Like you absorbed that lightning power of yours, and your sunlight from Baekhyun.”

 

“But… I didn’t do anything,” Sehun said, feeling small.

 

“You didn’t have to,” Minseok said with a light tone in his voice. “It’s an ability that kicks in as soon as you come into physical contact with someone that wields a compatible gift.”

 

“Compatible…?”

 

Minseok laughed. “Well, you certainly didn’t gain Chanyeol’s abilities, correct? Or the abilities of that Earth Mage you mentioned?”

 

Sehun nodded.

 

“So, what do all the powers you’ve come in contact with have in common?” Minseok asked, trying to lead Sehun in the direction he wanted him to go.

 

Sehun’s brow furrowed, not sure what Minseok was getting at. But he tried to think about it. However, he didn’t get much chance to before someone else spoke.

 

“They’re all weather phenomena,” Luhan answered. Sehun looked back at Luhan with confusion. Had Luhan known this was happening to him the entire time?

 

“Then why did I never get anything from Taeyeon?” he asked. “She always played with the sun.”

 

“The sun,” Baekhyun said suddenly, “was never her gift. She loved it and she worshiped the sun, but it did not belong to her like it does me. Or my father as I’ve been told. She borrowed magic from others and cast spells with that borrowed magic. She cast blessings as she called them.”

 

“That’s how she was able to pass as the one who had kicked up the wind when you were in trouble,” Yixing said softly. “She borrowed your magic and used it to convince the officials that you were innocent.”

 

Sehun finally sat up and distanced himself from Minseok's hold. But just as he was getting feeling back, Luhan stepped forward and fiddled with Sehun's hair. He picked a lock of hair in Sehun's forehead and inspected it with great interest.

 

“What are you doing?” Sehun questioned with a sigh. His hair had no doubt turned back to the golden tones he was unfortunately used to seeing by now. But then, Luhan shouldn’t be this interested in his hair.

 

“Sehun, your hair…” Baekhyun whispered, awe lacing his voice. “It’s sprouting shades of blue and green…”

 

“What?” Sehun asked, fingers finding their way to his hair, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. “Luhan?”

 

“He’s right,” Luhan said with surprise. “There’s more colors in it.”

 

“I don’t understand!” Sehun burst, shaking his head and pulling himself from the grasp of everyone trying to touch him. “What’s happening to me?”

 

“Would you like to know?” Minseok asked, arms still open, ready for Sehun to come back if he so wished. “I can take you to someone who can speak to you on this.”

 

“What could anyone tell me of this?” Sehun demanded.

 

“He can tell you everything you wish to know about it,” Minseok insisted. Sehun looked skeptical until Minseok spoke again. He smiled at Sehun with a knowing twist of the lips. “Let me take you to someone just like you.”


	19. Chapter 19

Making their way into Aspal was harder than they all thought it would be. The roads back up the mountain were steep, and ice covered, and the snow fell in sheets. Minseok used this opportunity to teach. He instructed Sehun on how to dispel snow squalls and taught him how to call the flurries. It would come in handy should he ever need a quick escape in the mountains. When they needed them, Minseok even showed Sehun how to build himself a set of stairs from ice. But he made sure that Sehun knew he needed to be careful and never get ahead of himself. Even the most experienced ice mages couldn't always keep sure feet.

 

Despite conditions and despite Sehun's quiet complaints, they made good progress. The next signs of civilization they saw through the white fog was a large gate. Minseok sighed and called up to a guard on the top of the closed gate.

 

"You there!" he called. "Why are the gates closed?"

 

"Orders from the young master, my lord," the young man answered. Sehun looked at Minseok in slight confusion. Lord? But there wasn't time to think about that right now. A few moments later, the gates were opening for them and Minseok ushered them inside. The gate guard was making his way down from the parapet, shivering in the cold.

 

"What does Joonmyun think is going to get in this time?" Minseok asked, humor in his voice. "Rabbits?"

 

"I'm growing quite tired of these jokes," Yixing griped.

 

"It is not rabbits," the young man answered. "He worries for the village people. It is difficult to see out here. I am surprised you made it this far. A child needed a rescue not more than a few days ago after wandering away."

 

"I grew up here," Minseok reminded him with a laugh. "Children are still learning. Anyway, have you seen Joonmyun? He has guests."

 

"Yes, sir! If you go to the town hall, I'll send him to you." Then the man ran off, leaving the second guard to close the gates. Minseok moved farther in, beckoning for the others to follow him with a wave of a hand.

 

"You failed to mention that you were in charge here," Chanyeol said. Much like their powers clashed, Chanyeol and Minseok didn't get along well either. No outright fights had happened between the two, there was sometimes tension. Sehun couldn't count how many times they got snippy with each other. Baekhyun too got in on these minor spats. Baekhyun didn't like Minseok's blatant disrespect for someone he considered a hero.

 

"Did I have to?" Minseok asked. "I'm only second in command anyway. You should be grateful though. I will be getting you rooms for now. You will be mine and Joonmyun's guests. Unless you wish to work to pay for a place to stay."

 

"No," Sehun piped up. "We would love to be your guests."

 

"Only until the sky kingdom passes close to the lifts," Yixing amended.

 

"Yes," Minseok hummed. "I imagined that would be the place you intended to go. Especially with so many important people in your party." There were a few confused faces from Sehun and Baekhyun, but neither asked what Minseok meant by that. They all followed him farther in, though, moving to the center of town.

 

The town was protected on all sides from the worst winds by the tall wall that had been erected around it.

 

Sehun looked around as they walked and found himself amazed by the small town and the people in it. Everyone was going about their daily business as if there weren't a storm raging on around them. The markets were bustling with people and there were couriers flitting about. It was like any other town even though it was built on the stones of a mountain.

 

"There are lower levels for the sick," Minseok hummed. "They do not do well at this altitude, but we do our best to take care of them. Speaking of which, is there anyone feeling a little unwell? We should get you inside first and fed before anything happens to you."

 

Baekhyun was first to raise his hand as they arrived at a grand looking inn. He had grown up on flat lands and still felt a little ill going so high above sea level. Minseok ushered him towards the front desk and spoke to a hired hand there. He gave them a brief explanation of who they were and asked about getting Baekhyun some light food. The woman bowed with a polite smile and hurried off with Baekhyun in tow.

 

Chanyeol looked after him with a slight frown and indecision written on his face. "I should go see if he is all right," he said. Then he hurried after Baekhyun as well. Minseok didn't stop him, but he made a sound of irritation as Chanyeol left. He turned back to Luhan, Yixing, and Sehun then.

 

"Joonmyun should meet with us in the town hall," Minseok said, pushing them back out the door. "We will go there now. The staff will prepare your rooms while we speak with him."

 

They all nodded and Minseok led them even farther into the city. They went to a large building south of the central square and Minseok pushed the door open. It was a simple room, large and furnished with cushions and a low table that could seat the town council. Sehun removed his shoes at the door and took off the cloak as soon as he was out of the chilled wind.

 

Minseok lowered himself into one of the cushions near the end of the table with a practiced ease. He sat with his calves under him and his hands in his lap. Luhan and Yixing did the same without complaint. Sehun tried to mimic them, but his thighs and calves started screaming. They were still sore from the exercise, but he didn't want to be rude and earn himself any kind of punishment. Every punishment got him closer to having the collar placed back around his neck and he didn't want that.

 

Sehun shifted with discomfort before a polite knock came to the door. Everyone looked up as a thin, well-dressed man stepped into the room and took his seat at the head of the table. It was at this point that Luhan's eyes widened in surprise. He looked between Sehun and the man for a good while as if confused. But when he settled, he brought his attention to the man again.

 

"You have brought in interesting people, Minseok," the man hummed. He eyed Luhan in particular as he spoke. "My name is Joonmyun. It is good to see you, Star Child."

 

Luhan froze and Sehun found his interest piqued.

 

"How did you-" Luhan began. Joonmyun ignored the question for the moment.

 

"You must be the chosen one, yes?" Joonmyun asked with a kind smile as he turned to Sehun. "I am glad to see that they have found someone to take the job. I was getting worried when no one ever stepped forward."

 

"What are you talking about?" Sehun questioned. But Joonmyun only laughed.

 

"The throne of course!" Joonmyun chuckled. "The throne of the Sky Kingdom that floats a couple miles or more above your head."

 

Sehun grew very quiet and very still as he sat there, unsure of how to proceed. He hadn't been intending to take Luhan up on the offer to make him king at all. Joonmyun seemed to catch on to this and his smile left his face. He looked at Luhan then.

 

“You’re having a hard time convincing him?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” Luhan muttered. “But I’m trying to have faith.”

 

Sehun couldn’t help but notice the sad tone in Luhan’s voice. Joonmyun seemed to notice as well but didn’t say anything about it. He turned to Minseok for an explanation.

 

“Sehun has the gift,” Minseok explained. “I told him I knew someone who possessed it as well and he wanted to meet them.”

 

“I see,” Joonmyun sighed. “Then it looks like my conversation with him needs to be in private.” He looked at Luhan with understanding and something in his eyes. A shiver seemed to pass through Luhan’s body that Sehun couldn’t explain well. He took a breath and nodded. Then Joonmyun turned to Yixing. “Also, is there a reason the Moon Witch sent his servant?”

 

“I have been a healer,” Yixing hummed. “My master asked me to look out for Sehun ever since before he left home.”

 

“So, your journey is almost over?” Joonmyun asked.

 

“I suppose so,” Yixing answered. “But I kind of like my friends.”

 

“Then I’m sure they would love to have you until your master needs you again.”

 

Yixing nodded and lowered his head, a smile making its way onto his face. With that, he rose from his seat and so did Luhan and Minseok. They left the room, leaving Sehun alone with Joonmyun. Sehun didn’t know what to say, but Joonmyun seemed to have an idea of what he needed to hear.

 

“Tell me a little about yourself,” he began. Sehun tried not to jump. Where did he start? “Where are you from?” Joonmyun supplied.

 

“Nimrine,” Sehun muttered in answer.

 

“Nimrine?” Joonmyun questioned, eyes going wider and his brows shooting up his forehead. “That’s a dangerous place for someone like you.”

 

Sehun nodded. “I was born there to my father and my mother, a wind mage. But my mother died shortly after having me.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Joonmyun said, getting up from his seat to approach Sehun. It felt more intimate of a conversation than he likely meant it to be. Howver, something felt strangely familiar about Joonmyun and Sehun didn’t mind it so much. “But why did you never leave Nimrine?”

 

“My father wasn’t able to move us right away,” Sehun answered. “I was a baby and he needed to feed me. He also wasn’t sure if I had the gift yet or not. I didn’t start showing it until I got a little older, though I think it was always there.”

 

“I assume trouble came of that very quickly,” Joonmyun hummed.

 

“Yes,” Sehun confirmed. “I had to shut out my gift. I couldn’t use it for the fun I had as a young child. I started getting angry as I grew older. But then someone very dear to me came into my life. Her name was Taeyeon and sometimes she was like a mother, but I always called her my big sister in my head.”

 

“Did she help your father raise you?”

 

“Not really,” Sehun said. “She only showed up for short periods of time every year. The first time I saw her, she seemed to like me and made friends with me. So, when she came back every year, she came to visit me. It became my favorite times of the year when she would visit.” He sounded rather happy talking about Taeyeon when it was of all the good things he remembered about her. But the happiness soon faded to sadness.

 

“It didn’t last,” Joonmyun filled in, his voice going soft.

 

“No, it didn’t,” Sehun confirmed. “A few months ago, she showed up again as usual. We did our usual things. She taught me skills both useful and silly. She made me clean the house because it was filthy. She took me out hunting and to the market. I thought it would be like every year. But in the market, I was attacked and my subconscious brought the wind up to protect myself. They took me away and tortured me, but she came and turned herself in for the crime of magic and had me released. Dazed and confused and already believing I was dead, I didn’t know what to say or do. I could only watch her lock herself into a death sentence. She asked me for one thing, to find her brother, as repayment for saving my life. Then she urged me to leave before it was no longer possible. My father and I escaped with Yixing’s help, but my father and I got separated. A boat carrying Crown Prince Yifan picked Yixing and I up on the river. There, I started my recovery and I gained the power of lightning from one of the guards.”

 

“Did you start to understand your power then?” Joonmyun asked.

 

“Quite the opposite,” Sehun answered. “I resisted it. Jongdae taught me how to control my wind abilities, but I hated the lightning. It was scary, and it felt like it was intruding on my life after all this time of never having it before.”

 

“I know the feeling,” Joonmyun said, rubbing his arm. “But I’ll get to that later. Please continue. If you were off the coast of Nimrine, how did you end up all the way here?”

 

“The boat I was on docked in Eriand's capital. While on the trip, I had time to think about what I wanted to do,” Sehun continued. He tried not to think too hard about what Joonmyun had just said. “I was still recovering, but I learned to stop resisting my powers in that time. The night Luhan fell from the sky, everything became both more difficult and much easier. He helped me heal with magic and decided to come with me, along with Yixing, to find Taeyeon’s brother. We acquired Chanyeol and Baekhyun before our true journey began. It has been a few months since then.”

 

“That can't have been an easy trip to make,” Joonmyun began. "And it seems you have other problems. Do not think I did not notice your shoes at the door. And Luhan and Yixing kept their cloaks on while sitting here, but yours is off to the side.”

 

“I am under slave contract by my own choosing,” Sehun explained. “When I left my home in Nimrine, I felt so guilty. I had allowed my sister to give up her life to save me. I should have died, and I didn’t, but thoughts of wanting to kill myself began to plague me. I felt that I had committed a crime worthy of severe punishment. Luhan and Chanyeol noticed this and so created a sentence for me to carry out after judging my crimes. With a clear mind, I signed the contract stating all the terms of servitude. I forget sometimes why I signed that contract, but I’m reminded often, and I try not to break rules so much.”

 

“I cannot say I think that was very smart of you to sign that contract,” Joonmyun commented.

 

“You are not the first to think as much.”

 

“But has it eased your conscience?” Joonmyun asked.

 

Sehun nodded and gave him a weak smile. “It has. It has given me a way to pay for my sins and it is effective enough.”

 

“Then it is doing the job you intended, and I guess that has to be good enough.” Joonmyun ran a hand down his face, keeping himself calm. “How long do you need to adhere to this contract?”

 

“A year from the time of signing,” Sehun informed him. “Which I guess means I have a little less than eight months left.”

 

“And what of your mission to find this missing sibling?”

 

“I have been to see the Moon Witch,” Sehun said. “He told me to go see the Seer of the Sky Kingdom.”

 

“The Seer of Ilesseas?” Joonmyun asked as a clarification.

 

“I suppose so,” Sehun muttered. “You know the kingdom’s true name?”

 

“I am the leader of a town where one of the lifts is located," Joonmyun reminded him with a smile. "We get many people coming and going between here and there. You start to hear stories and names start to make their way into conversation.” Then he looked up at Sehun with a sad smile. “They talk about their aging king a lot these days.”

 

Sehun didn’t say anything to that. Instead, he tried to move on from that particular conversation. “I’m headed to the Sky Kingdom to speak with the Seer,” he grunted. “Maybe he can help me.”

 

But Joonmyun wasn’t having it. He wouldn’t let Sehun escape this conversation. “Do you know what the mark of a king is to the people of Ilesseas?” he asked Sehun.

 

“Luhan told me what he was looking for,” Sehun muttered. “Kind. Giving. Brave.”

 

“Are you telling me you are none of those things?” Joonmyun questioned. “Because even sitting here, I can tell you are. I know exactly why Luhan picked you. But it’s not just the person you are, it’s your gift.”

 

“What would you know about my gift?” Sehun spat. “It feels like a curse the more people discuss it. My mother’s gift is the only thing I cared about for a long time. It was the only thing I had aside from my father and Taeyeon. And now Taeyeon and my father are gone. My wind gift is the only thing I have left that is of any value to me.”

 

“Are your friends of no value to you?” Joonmyun questioned. “Because I can promise you, those three who were in here love you very much.”

 

Sehun bit his lip. “That’s not what I meant.”

 

“I know what you meant,” Joonmyun responded. “But it’s not what you said, and that’s the important thing. They may start to leave you if you do not welcome them into your heart. They may still leave even after that, but that does not mean you live your life alone. Treasure the relationships you have left. Because the dead do not want you to suffer on their account.”

 

Sehun winced at that, but it was the truth. He had not been a good friend lately and he had not tried very hard to make amends with Luhan. Before he could think more on it, Sehun’s eyes began to sting and his vision began to blur with water.

 

“Do not cry, Sehun,” Joonmyun said, lifting a gloved hand to Sehun’s face to wipe away the tears that had already escaped. “It is not too late to let them in. Lean on them more when you need it and thank them when you can stand on your own again. Then return the same courtesy to them in their times of need. Let me show you how.”

 

Sehun looked back at Joonmyun who seemed to look so sad all of a sudden. Sehun was about to ask, but Joonmyun spoke first.

 

“This is a secret I have kept from most people for longer than I care to admit,” he said. thinking about how to say what needed to be said. “It is my fault you are in this position,” he told Sehun.

 

“Why would all this be your fault?” Sehun questioned. “Taeyeon didn’t die because of you.”

 

“By extension of the things I have done, she might have,” Joonmyun said, pulling away from Sehun. “The kingdom of Ilesseas should have had an heir to the throne much sooner than now, and it is my fault that they do not. Years ago, a young woman fell from the sky and told me I would be king. But as it sounds like you have been saying to Luhan, I said no, and I maintained that no to the very end. She left me to search for someone who would take the position. But if Luhan came to you, I suppose she failed.”

 

“But why does that mean your actions killed Taeyeon?” Sehun asked.

 

“When something doesn’t work out in the gods’ favor,” Joonmyun began, "it needs to be addressed." He went to the decorated window, looking out at the people passing by. “They have ways of creating situations that benefit their desires. She may be a victim of your fate. But that does not make her death your fault. I want you to remember that. She died for you because she loved you and could see someone great in you.”

 

“Why does the world insist that I must be king someday?” Sehun questioned in irritation. “No royal blood. I’m not brave. I’m a coward who ran away from home to escape death.”

 

“You do not need royal blood and a coward would have accepted death,” Joonmyun returned. “I am the coward for not accepting the responsibility offered to me. I was selfish and did not take the lives of millions of people into account when I ran away from the throne. You have a chance to save yourself that guilt.”

 

“I don’t want to be king!” Sehun shouted in frustration. “Someone else can do it! If they can pass by you, they can pass by me, too. I am not so special.”

 

“But we _are_ ,” Joonmyun said, walking back to Sehun and taking his hands. “You and I are of a rare breed. We have the same gift that marks us as potential kings of Ilesseas.”

 

“What mark?” Sehun questioned.

 

“The sky is our gift, Sehun.” Joonmyun told him. “You were born with the sky in love with you, just as I was. You were born with a blessing.”

 

“No,” Sehun muttered, snatching his own hands back and tangling them in his own hair. “I was born with my mother’s gift. And to everyone around me, it was nothing but a curse.”

 

“I’m sure your father didn’t think that way.”

 

“I think differently!” Sehun shouted. “I was punished by him as a child for using my mother’s gift. I was hidden away when I couldn’t control it.”

 

“He did those things to protect you, and you know it,” Joonmyun snapped. “The people of Nimrine are afraid of magic. What happened to your friend could easily have happened to you, too.”

 

“I don’t care!” Sehun screamed, standing from his seated position. “I was alone. I was depressed. I couldn’t even use the gift my mother gave me. And when one man found out what I was, I sold my freedom to him so he wouldn't tell anyone. I believed I was worth three copper pieces a night!”

 

“Sehun-“

 

“No! You shut up,” Sehun growled, not wanting to hear it anymore. “If you believe what we are is a blessing, then why did you run away? If you want to make amends by getting me to accept the throne, find some other way to save your soul.”

 

Then he stormed out of the room, a sputtering Joonmyun making to follow him. Sehun slammed the door shut in his face, barely getting his shoes on and grabbing his cloak as he went.

 

Upon arrival at the inn, Sehun was hastily shown to his room by a passing servant. He noticed his angered demeanor and suggested he lay down. Sehun was grateful for this, but he had a hard time displaying his gratitude when he was still fuming.

 

Upon arriving in his own room, Sehun punched a wall once to make himself feel better. He didn’t even notice the pain as the skin of his knuckles split open and started to bleed. He was so frustrated. A few moments later, the door to his room opened and he rounded on whoever it was, about to tell them to leave him alone. But it was Luhan who stood in the door, and Sehun couldn't bring himself to send him away.

 

Luhan looked at Sehun’s hand and walked over to him, taking it in his gentle fingers. “What are you doing to yourself?” he asked, sighing as he cast a healing spell over the broken skin. Sehun didn’t answer and Luhan looked up at him with a sad expression. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”

 

Sehun felt all the fight go out of him as soon as Luhan looked at him. He leaned forward and placed his head on Luhan’s shoulder, giving up. “I’m tired,” he told Luhan.

 

“I know you are,” Luhan responded. Even after the cuts were gone from Sehun’s hand, Luhan didn’t let go of it. He held on tighter than ever and let Sehun lean on him. “You should rest.”

 

“I can’t,” Sehun sighed. “I haven’t stretched and meditated today. I don’t want a repeat of the other day.”

 

“Then let’s stretch and meditate together,” Luhan suggested. Then he took Sehun to the center of the room where there was a clear space. “You’ve got another gift now, after all. It only makes sense that you become familiar with it.”

 

Sehun nodded, but he didn’t know why he was still bothering. He should know how to use these gifts and control them, but he didn’t want to know anything other than his wind powers. “Do I go back to training tomorrow?” he asked Luhan.

 

Luhan nodded his head. “There is a training yard on the other side of the city. You can practice there until we go to the lifts.”

 

Sehun looked a little harder at Luhan when he mentioned the lifts. He remembered the promise Luhan had made to him. “Then you will ask for my choice…”

 

Luhan hesitated, but he eventually ended up nodding.

 

“What am I supposed to do, Luhan?” Sehun whispered. “I don’t know what to do.”

 

“You do know what you are supposed to do,” Luhan said, voice calm though serious. “But I know you don’t want to, and I can’t tell you what to do.”

 

“Then what will you do?” Sehun asked. “It’s your mission, and I can’t help you complete it.”

 

Luhan looked torn between two things Sehun did not understand. He looked like there was something he wanted to say and yet couldn’t and Sehun wished he could help.

 

“I’ll leave,” Luhan finally told him. “If I have to, I’ll find someone else suitable for the throne. There are others like you, but the candidates are few and those with the right heart are even fewer.”

 

“Did Joonmyun have the right heart?” Sehun asked. After he had spoken with Joonmyun, he had remembered the way Luhan had looked between the two of them. It was as if he were thinking hard, considering his options.

 

Luhan hesitated, but he nodded. “He has a good heart. And if given time, the person who picked him would have been successful. You would not have to bear the burden of this quest if he had only been given time.”

 

“Then why don’t you give him that time?” Sehun asked.

 

Luhan fixed him with a sad smile and said, “Because he is hurt by his choices. Besides, I have picked you.” He brushed Sehun’s hair off his face and ran a hand down Sehun’s cheek. “You, despite what you wish or what you say, will always be my king. Whether you take the throne or not is of no matter to me.”

 

Sehun reached up for the hand caressing his face and took it in his own. “Why?” he asked.

 

“I have told you,” Luhan said with a little giggle. “I chose you. But I chose you in more ways than one. I will wait for you for as long as I can. I believe in you and I know whatever you choose will be the right choice.”

 

Sehun knew there was one outcome Luhan was looking for, but Sehun still wasn’t convinced he could do it. He couldn’t take care of a nation of people and rule over them. He didn’t know how he would even start that task.

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to Luhan after what felt like a long silence. “I’m sorry for everything I said that night. It was all a lie.”

 

“I know,” Luhan replied, seeming to breathe easier at Sehun's words. “I know now and I knew then. I understand you were upset and exhausted and what you were saying was born out of that frustration. I’m sorry for slapping you.”

 

Sehun shook his head. “I deserved it,” he said voice soft as he leaned in closer to Luhan. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

 

There were suddenly fingers to his lips, stopping him from speaking. Luhan had one thing he needed to say.

 

“If you’re sorry,” Luhan muttered, “then tell me what you really wanted to say that night.”

 

The fingers were gone after that and Sehun struggled for a few moments to compose his thoughts. But then he smiled and moved forward again. When he was a hair’s breadth away from Luhan, he whispered the words he had denied himself too many times before.

 

“I love you.”

 

After that, they grew lost in their own world together. Sehun’s duties were temporarily forgotten as they spent time together. Sehun let himself enjoy the kisses and holding and touching Luhan.

 

Much later, Luhan would allow Sehun to touch him in a more private manner. Sehun still refused help even though Luhan knew he needed it. He didn't want to take from Luhan and he made sure Luhan knew. Luhan could do nothing but give up and allow his pleasure to come to him.

 

\-----

 

The next day was tense, but no one made comments about the discussion that had taken place the prior day. Baekhyun was feeling better and Chanyeol was relieved by that. Luhan covered for Sehun’s lack of practicing last night, saying he had done it. Sehun was lucky that Chanyeol took Luhan’s word.

 

By lunch time, Sehun was back to the grind with Chanyeol. The only difference was that now they had better equipment to practice with. The space was also larger and better equipped for a full practice. Here, they gave him his first real sword to practice with. It was heavy, and they wouldn't spar with it now, but Sehun understood the need to be strong. Chanyeol taught him better with proper equipment, and Sehun learned quicker. Practice with his magic was easier, too. Chanyeol began magic sparring with him by day two. It left Sehun more tired than ever, he was able to rest properly when it was all over. It made for a much better mood on his part and he didn’t feel so snappy when someone asked him to do something for them.

 

He found himself sneaking off to Luhan’s room more throughout the day to stay by his side. They often read together or played games and there was the occasional kiss here and there. Luhan hesitated to initiate anything more because it wasn’t fair to Sehun. Sehun still didn't let Luhan touch him, but he often asked to touch Luhan when it came up.

 

Over the period of a week, Sehun was getting much better at his swordsmanship. They moved back to the wooden swords for sparring, and he had managed to win some from Chanyeol. He assumed they were battles that Chanyeol gave to him. He stopped hurting quite so much as the days progressed and he grew more limber the longer he stretched.

 

But even with all the good changes, the trip to the lifts was fast approaching. Sehun had yet to make a final decision. Every time he thought about it, he wondered if he could handle never seeing Luhan again. He wondered if he could tolerate never hearing him chastise him or laugh with him or kiss him again.

 

Luhan had actually been scolding him just today when they were in private. He was speaking, and he was frowning while he pointed a stern finger up at Sehun. All Sehun could do was smile fondly back down at him and accept the words coming out of Luhan’s mouth. It was something about being respectful. He finally started listening when Luhan smacked him on the back of the head.

 

“Sehun! I’m being serious!” he yelled.

 

Sehun laughed a little and covered his head. “I’m sorry!” he yelled back. “But you’re cute when you’re angry.”

 

“I am not cute!” Luhan hissed. Sehun didn’t try to dispute that. He wondered if there would be many more of these moments left.

 

“I’m sorry,” Sehun finally said. “Better?”

 

Luhan crossed his arms in irritation, but he nodded his head anyway. “Better. Now come with me. I want to see the stars tonight.”

 

“You always want to see the stars,” Sehun pointed out. But despite his saying so, he agreed to go with Luhan without hassle.

 

It was another chilly night, and Luhan allowed Sehun to wear his cloak. Every time he got it back, Sehun noticed new needlework had been added to the pattern on the inside. He always had to finger it to make sure it was real. Luhan always laughed at him for it and told him he had been practicing again. Sehun tried to not think of it as a farewell present.

 

The only real place to look up at the sky was in the now empty markets. Everyone had gone home for the day and the square was devoid of most life. Only a few stragglers on their way home remained. Sehun and Luhan took a seat at the base of the statue in the center. At any other time of the day, it was full of children climbing it for fun.

 

“The winter stars are so pretty,” Luhan hummed as soon as he sat down. He was already looking towards the sky, hands propping him up as he sat back. Sehun didn’t know what to say, but he opted for silence at this moment. “I wish I could stay here for a long time.”

 

“You can if you would like,” Sehun suggested. “If you can’t stay with me, I could only be a few days in the sky kingdom. Maybe I can join you on your mission when this is over.”

 

Luhan was already shaking his head. “Where you and I go will be different places,” he said softly. “I have to look where lots of people are, and where you will be going is somewhere only one person exists.”

 

Sehun looked at Luhan with troubled eyes. “How do you know that?”

 

“The gods told me,” Luhan answered. “They wouldn’t tell me where you are going exactly, so I can’t help you. But they are amused by you.”

 

Sehun frowned. “The gods are mocking me now, great!” he groaned. This was probably fitting for turning down something that was supposedly his birthright. But before he could think on it more, Luhan was laying down in Sehun’s lap and the distraction was welcomed.

 

“You know,” Luhan began, “there’s more to prove a king has been selected.”

 

“There’s more?” Sehun questioned. “How much is there to this whole thing?”

 

Luhan laughed and Sehun’s hand went into the soft golden-brown locks as he continued.

 

“Quite a bit,” Luhan answered. “Picking a king is quite complicated as you can imagine after speaking with Joonmyun.”

 

“I knew it was complicated before that," Sehun grunted. "Picking the eldest child of the current king would have been easy.”

 

Luhan nodded and smiled, closing his eyes to the feeling of Sehun’s hand in his hair. “Candidates are selected at birth,” he said, “and the gods watch all of them. Someone has kept an eye on you since the moment you took your first breath. The goddess of the sky may not be the more important than another, but she has chosen to bless certain mortals. She bestows upon certain individuals power. And because a goddess has spoken for these individuals, the others agree to guide them.”

 

“I was one of them,” Sehun said, already knowing this.

 

Luhan nodded. “And Joonmyun was another,” he said, finishing the thought. “But because Joonmyun was older than you, he was assessed more closely than you to begin with. When his powers started to make themselves known, the gods sent him a physical guide to lead him to the throne.”

 

“But what about the other children like us?” Sehun asked. “I assume the goddess still selects more.”

 

“She does," Luhan confirmed. "But even the gods cannot predict how a child will develop. They may not possess the necessary qualities to take the throne. So the pool of candidates gets smaller with each passing year. Someone displaying greed can have the power, but they are not considered a candidate. Someone who has evil intentions will be eliminated from a running they had no idea they were a part of. Courage can be displayed in a number of ways, but in the end, it comes to their final choice. If a chosen candidate refuses to take the throne out of fear of failure, they are eliminated. It doesn't matter how perfect they otherwise would have been.”

 

“Joonmyun.”

 

Luhan nodded again. “I was not yet born when Joonmyun was going through his trials,” Luhan continued. “But I heard all the stories. His Star Child mishandled her mission. She believed that honesty was the best way to win his heart and get him to agree.”

 

“And you do not?” Sehun asked, stiffening, his hand stalling in Luhan’s hair. Luhan opened his eyes and sat up.

 

“If you are asking whether or not I have lied to you before, then yes, I have,” Luhan told him honestly. Sehun stood up then and Luhan gripped his arm tightly to keep him from walking away. “Sehun, please listen.”

 

Sehun jerked his hand away. “What have you lied to me about?” he demanded. “Tell me!”

 

“Listen!” Luhan pleaded. “I’m trying to tell you the truth! Your powers need to be complete before you can take the throne. You also need three blessings from representatives of the sky. I got so lucky with you because you already had one and where you needed to go aligned with another. I gave you the third. But you would not have expanded on your gift if I had told you what it was. That’s what happened to Joonmyun. The last Star Child told him too much. He repressed his power after getting his second one from Minseok. He never traveled to gather the blessings.”

 

“I’ve been torturing myself for months over these powers,” Sehun shouted. “I have been sick because of these powers. I have been stressed because I don’t know how to control any of it. Pieces of my mother keep getting buried under everything that is…” He flailed his arms uselessly, indicating himself. He was so frustrated that he was not able to express himself in the way that he wanted to. “…me.”

 

“I know,” Luhan admitted. “And it pained me to watch you go through all of that. But you forget that it also pained me every time you asked me to treat you like a slave. And I still have the majority of a year before I can release you from it. I have been torturing myself, too. I have loved you this entire time and you have insisted on hurting yourself. But I needed you to cooperate with me, and not telling you what your powers were helped me.”

 

“How can even say you love me?” Sehun demanded.

 

Luhan looked at Sehun horrified. “What are you talking about?”

 

“Is your love for me a lie, too?” Sehun clarified. Then he scoffed at himself. “You’ve lied to me this entire time, and now I’m thinking you lied to me about your feelings. You were… You were using me.”

 

“No! Sehun, that's not it! I-“

 

“Shut up!” Sehun screamed. “You’re going to leave not because of your mission but because even pretending you love me won’t get me to be your king.”

 

“Sehun, that’s not true!” Luhan tried to tell him. “I do love you! I have to leave you, but I do!”

 

“Stop lying to me!” Sehun growled, the tears coming without him realizing. He raised a hand, ready to unleash his all his sadness and his anger in one blow. But Luhan stood his ground even as his tears shone like diamonds in the moonlight, he didn't back away. Sehun’s own tears were falling down his face while his heart broke. He couldn’t do it. He lowered his hand and turned on his feet, leaving Luhan in the square alone.

 

He returned to his room and found a surprise visitor at his door. It was Baekhyun, drying tears present on his face as well. They didn’t exchange more than a look before they were heading to bed. As Sehun stripped Baekhyun of his clothing and himself of his own, he felt a hole opening up deep in his heart. He could stuff it full of work and training and his journey all he wanted, but it would never feel full.

 

He pressed kisses to Baekhyun’s skin and Baekhyun let himself be opened up under his touch. Sehun took and took and took, desperate to try to feel something. Baekhyun allowed him to do so because he wanted to give and give and give for once in his life. They were falling back into their old habits. They were broken people and Sehun felt like destroying himself again tonight.

 

“Do you love me?” Sehun asked, reciting old lines from when they had just become acquainted.

 

Baekhyun didn’t miss a beat. He nodded his head as he tightened his legs further around Sehun’s undulating hips. “I do,” he moaned. “I love you.”

 

Sehun didn’t ask Baekhyun what happened or ask why he had been crying, but he didn’t need to. When Baekhyun peaked and fell into bliss, the name he called was not Sehun’s. He knew what happened and he and Baekhyun were both victims.

 

He pulled from Baekhyun without satisfying himself. If he couldn't give that to Luhan, he couldn't give it to anyone else anymore. It didn’t feel right. He and Baekhyun laid beside each other, staring up at the ceiling without saying a word. But it was Baekhyun that turned onto his side first and sought Sehun’s warmth. Sehun hesitated, but he accepted Baekhyun’s neediness. It gave himself something - or someone - to temporarily hold in his heart. 

 

There were cracks that needed fixing before tomorrow morning. It was just too bad that the one who should be fixing them wasn’t going to come.


	20. Chapter 20

The date of their departure was fast approaching. The Sky Kingdom would be over their heads in the next day or two. That would be when a ride on the lifts would be authorized. The air between all of them had become stiff. Sehun and Luhan did not speak to each other and Chanyeol and Baekhyun had grown distant as well. It seemed only Yixing was on good terms with everybody. Much to his misfortune, he was often used as the messenger between them. It irritated him and Sehun learned to get out of his way when he was storming down the halls.

 

Luhan didn’t make Sehun go out for morning prayer anymore; something that Sehun was grateful for. He hadn’t seen Taeyeon’s bird again since that night in the forest and hadn’t seen her in a pool since they were in Rioda. But Sehun still woke for prayer every morning out of habit and he would struggle to fall back asleep.

 

Training was becoming easier, and both he and Chanyeol threw themselves into it. It was an obvious attempt to avoid the awkwardness of being with the others. Sehun’s muscles no longer screamed from the rigorous exercise but merely ached. Even Sehun was noticing the muscles in his arms and legs growing more defined. His flexibility increased by leaps and bounds as well. Sehun was finally able to do not only the splits, but also move himself through tight spaces. Chanyeol always pushed this to the limit in mazes of fire that he created for Sehun to navigate.

 

“Excellent!” Chanyeol praised as Sehun was able to dodge another wave of flames. Sehun was getting tired. They had been at such maneuvers for a while now and his movement was starting to lag. But soon enough, he would be without Chanyeol and he would need to know how to do all of this on his own. They had been lucky to run into so little trouble, but that luck would one day run out. Sehun needed to know how to defend himself for that day.

 

All of this came to a painful end when Sehun spun to avoid another column of fire. He caught a glimpse of Luhan watching him from the corner of a nearby building. Sehun, having not had a proper conversation with Luhan in days, missed him. He was suffering from withdrawals of the presence of the Star Child and it ate at his concentration. In that single moment of distraction, he forgot where he was and what he was doing. He made eye contact with the boy across the yard.

 

“SEHUN!”

 

Flames licked up Sehun’s back in a painful stripe. The fire burned the shirt from his back and left his skin raw and boiling where it had struck. Immediately, the maze of fire was gone and Sehun stood there for only a few more seconds. The pain and the realization of what happened stunned him into stillness. It hurt so bad and Sehun didn’t know what to do.

 

Sehun resorted to the conditioning of the past few days. In his head, he was running through what he could do better. How could he avoid this pain the next time? How could he be better? But before he could think much, Luhan filled his sight. The Star Child ran up to him, gripping him by the arms, calling him stupid and crying again like he had the few nights ago. But for some reason, this was much worse and Sehun couldn't get his concentration back. He couldn't ignore the pain anymore.

 

When he finally collapsed, it was into Luhan’s arms where he struggled to stay awake. Luhan brushed his hair and lowered him to the ground, whispering words into his ear. Sehun didn’t hear him at first, the pain too intense to think about anything else. Everything up and down his back felt like it was still burning. He felt like his whole body was on fire from the radiating pain alone. Chanyeol was at his side, whispering apologies at the same time that he was also calling him stupid.

 

“Use your snow powers, Sehun,” Luhan said, repeating it until Sehun could finally hear him. “It’ll help with the pain.” And even though it hurt, Sehun tried to concentrate and call forth the magic. It was so much easier to pinpoint magic these days. So much easier than it had been the day Jongdae taught him to summon basic magic in a broad sweep. Now, he could call the needed ice crystals to his back. They stuck to his skin and cooled the burning flesh. “That’s it,” Luhan cheered. “Chanyeol is going to go get Yixing. So hang in there.”

 

Sehun hadn’t noticed Chanyeol’s departure at all. He had been too busy staring at Luhan to notice anything else. The rational side of his brain told him he would be fine. The burns would heal and he would be fine. He might have a new scar, but that wasn't so bad. However, something on the irrational side of his brain told Sehun that he was going to die right here. He was going to die in the arms of the only person left that he cared about. And if he was to die, this would be the way to go. He did not want to drown in a river. He did not want it to be on the end of a knife. He wanted it to be in Luhan's embrace. That thought alone brought him to tears.

 

“Does it hurt?” Luhan asked, voice calmer than it had been moments ago. Sehun shook his head, not wanting to let Luhan know. “Quit lying.”

 

“You first,” Sehun breathed, trying to stop his tears.

 

“You want the truth?” Luhan asked. “Because I can give that to you.”

 

Sehun didn’t answer, but he could hear Luhan’s sincerity in his voice. Whatever he said, Sehun could trust it.

 

“I love you,” Luhan said as he dropped his head for their foreheads to meet. “I have since back at Kyungsoo’s home. Like I told you, I’ve been fond of you for a long time. Since before our time whistling to the birds. And my secrets and lies were a way of keeping you close. If you had known too soon, you wouldn’t have trusted anything I did. I love you more than anything in this whole world, and to keep you happy, I won’t make you take the job. But I’m begging you. Please don’t make me leave you. Because no matter how I don’t want to leave you, if you say no, then I will. There is no room for me to be selfish here.”

 

Sehun dissolved into a mess of crying and struggling to keep the threads of magic going to his back. Yixing and Chanyeol found him burying his face in Luhan’s shoulder. Even when Yixing had finished treating Sehun’s back, the crying never stopped. It wasn't until Sehun had further exhausted himself that he finally quieted. Sleep took him then.

 

\-----

 

Sehun woke in his own bed, placed on his front so he wouldn’t aggravate the burns on his back. When he turned his head to the side, Luhan was sleeping beside him. It didn’t look like a restful sleep and Sehun didn’t know if he should wake him or not.

 

Tomorrow was the day he had to make his final decision. The hard part was that at the current moment, all he could hear was a frantic Luhan begging to stay. But Sehun also knew what that was asking for. He was asking for Sehun to become king and Sehun was still frightened.

 

He closed his eyes again and wished this whole situation weren’t real. He wished he could spend more time with Luhan instead of expecting him to disappear. He wished he hadn’t been mad the past few days. He wished he could have spent all the time they had left together. He wanted spend his time telling Luhan how he felt instead of being in disbelief that Luhan could ever love him.

 

There was still until tomorrow to allow himself to believe it. 

 

“Are you awake?”

 

Sehun’s eyes shot open and he found himself staring into Luhan’s bright, fiery eyes. He still looked beautiful and he had no idea what he was going to do about that. His trust was damaged. What did he say to Luhan when all he could think about was being lied to?

 

“Are you hungry?” Luhan asked.

 

Sehun was about to answer, opening his mouth with a response on the tip of his tongue. But his stomach did the talking for him with a loud gurgle. Luhan laughed; something hollow and not quite like himself.

 

“I’ll go get you something to eat,” Luhan said, getting up from the bed before Sehun could even think to grab him. Then he was gone and Sehun was again alone. But the loneliness didn’t last long. The door opened once more after Luhan left and Sehun looked up with hope. But the person standing in his doorway was not Luhan.

 

“You two need to talk,” Baekhyun said as soon as he had shut the door behind him. “This has gone on for far too long.”

 

Sehun looked away. “It’s only been going on for a few days…”

 

“You only had a few days to begin with!” Baekhyun snapped. “Now you only have a number of hours! Fix it before it’s too later!”

 

“What about you?” Sehun questioned, looking away. “You and Chanyeol aren’t speaking either.”

 

“Because I messed up,” Baekhyun hissed. “I told him what I felt and he didn’t feel the same way. But you and Luhan are different. You two love each other and it’s been obvious to me for a long time. When you and I have our nights, there’s a lot of faces I know you make. You make certain ones when the two of you are fighting and different ones when you two are on good terms.”

 

Sehun felt his face go red and he grabbed a pillow to throw at Baekhyun. He grabbed the other pillow to go over his ears so he didn’t have to hear. “Oh, for the love of the gods, stop talking!”

 

“No!” Baekhyun said. “I’m making this an order. Go talk to him, or I’ll punish you by making you stay with him for as long as it takes. You’ll never get to the Sky Kingdom to ask about my mother’s brother. You won’t get to go do whatever you want until the end of the contract. Nothing.”

 

Sehun whined at the indignation without removing the pillow.

 

“Sehun, it’s not that hard to talk to Luhan and you know it,” Baekhyun growled.

 

Sehun removed the pillow from his ears then and glared at Baekhyun. “Then you need to talk to Chanyeol,” he said. “Try to move on, but remain his friend, because you are happiest when you are at his side. That is something even he can see. You need him until you remember how to stand on your own two feet.”

 

Baekhyun extended a hand towards Sehun’s face then, expression serious. “Shake my hand,” he told Sehun. “Shake my hand and it’s a deal. I talk to Chanyeol, you talk to Luhan, and we both clean up this stupid mess.”

 

Sehun stared at the offered hand and hesitated. But the moment he even started to raise his own hand, Baekhyun took the initiative. He snatched it into his own and gave it a firm shake.

 

“By tomorrow morning, you two better be fixed," Baekhyun muttered. "Whether that means he leaves or he stays, you two will be smiling at each other again. And Chanyeol and I will be fine, too.” Baekhyun was serious and Sehun could only nod his assent. Then the door opened again and Luhan came back in with a tray of food. His eyes widened in slight surprise when he noticed Baekhyun. But Baekhyun was quick to head for the door without another word. Luhan waited until the door shut behind him before speaking.

 

“What was that about?” Luhan asked, trying to dispel the silence between him and Sehun.

 

“Nothing…” Sehun sighed. “Nothing.”

 

Luhan placed the tray down on the bed in front of Sehun and said, “It doesn’t sound like it was nothing.”

 

Sehun didn’t say anything, but he knew this should be the place where he asked to talk. The place where he apologized for being so stupid. The place where he asked Luhan for one more night of love before they separate. But he couldn’t even open his mouth to speak.

 

Luhan didn’t try to worm any more information out of Sehun. He just sat there and helped to feed Sehun instead. Sehun let him even though he was perfectly capable of eating by himself. Maybe he wanted the small bits of care from Luhan that he wasn’t able to ask for yet Luhan was willing to provide.

 

But when he had consumed all of the food and the silence returned, Sehun didn’t know what to do. Luhan had settled into the bed again, lying next to Sehun while he did more needlework. Luhan was down to the last few inches of Sehun’s cloak.

 

“Why do you keep doing that?” Sehun finally asked, watching Luhan’s hands work from over his shoulder. They had become more skilled with practice. His shapes were much more recognized and he didn’t prick his fingers as much as he used to.

 

“Because I want to leave you something,” Luhan answered. “If you don’t want to be my king, I can’t stay with you physically. But I can stay in your heart as long as you have this. I can keep you warm and make you feel protected. I can make you smile when you see the stains of my blood on my early stitches. I can-“

 

Sehun shut him up with a kiss, sealing their lips together and pushing away the needle from Luhan’s hands. But when they parted for air and Luhan moved on top of Sehun, he was crying already.

 

“I can make you feel loved from afar. Because even I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again.”

 

Sehun pulled Luhan back down and took his mouth again. He drowned out any other thoughts but being with him at that moment. He didn’t want to see Luhan cry. He didn’t want to separate them, but he didn’t know what to do.

 

“Stay with me tonight?” he asked. “I want to enjoy one night with you. The last night.”

 

“On one condition,” Luhan said with a small smile, looking down at Sehun. Sehun blinked, but then Luhan wedged himself between Sehun’s legs and Sehun knew what he would ask for. “You’ll let me take care of you. You'll let me make you feel loved. I don’t want to hurt you on our last night together. I don't want you to deny yourself. What will bring me pleasure is knowing you feel good.”

 

Sehun hesitated to accept. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve that care. “Luhan, I-“

 

“Let me take you to a better place for one night,” Luhan pleaded. “Let me show you what I feel for you. I haven't had time to learn how you feel loved. This is all I know. Please, let me try to give it to you. I want you to have this. Tomorrow, you can go back to denying yourself if you must, but if tonight is my last chance, I want to give you everything I have.”

 

Sehun hesitated for a moment longer, but then Luhan kissed him again. Not long after, he found himself sinking into that wonderful place where he and Luhan were alone. He had spent so much time telling himself no that it was easy to continue to say no. But Luhan was persistent and gently opened Sehun up and gave him the everything he promised.

 

He treated Sehun’s cuts, bruises, and burns with the care required of porcelain. He whispered adoring words into Sehun’s skin wherever he could reach. He had Sehun falling apart under him even before they joined. It was in the moments where Sehun was clawing at his back, holding him tight to himself. It was then when he was whispering Luhan’s name that Sehun realized something.

 

This was what love was supposed to feel like. This was the intimacy that he and Baekhyun never reached and never tried to reach. They only sought a cheap imitation of this. This was full of care and tenderness in each touch and kiss. This was soft words that drew breathless laughs between them. This was promises of pleasure as an accidental errant thrust caused slight pain.

 

Sehun was close. He had been since they started, but this was verging on painful. He held onto it for as long as he could, but Luhan took him in his hand and stroked him with a tight fist. Sehun didn’t resist like he had that time during a bath. He let Luhan touch because his own hands were too busy grounding himself on this earth. 

 

“Let go,” Luhan urged as Sehun’s legs twisted tighter around his hips. “Let go, Sehun. It’s okay. You’re safe.”

 

With a loud, choked moan, Sehun did let go. His release was so powerful that he nearly blacked out from the dizzy feeling it gave him. He slumped into the sheets and Luhan finished himself with a few more careful thrusts. Usually at this point, Sehun felt dirty. But this almost felt cleansing.

 

“I love you,” Luhan told him, voice soft and genuine as he said the words only for Sehun to hear. Sehun stared up at Luhan with glazed eyes. He wanted to say them back and his lips were already forming the words, but they changed.

 

“I've never felt that before…” he muttered, tears coming to his eyes. "I've never felt so safe. Never..." And the way Luhan lit up was worth every syllable that left Sehun’s heavy tongue. Luhan hushed him with tender fingers holding his cheeks. There was yet another kiss that he could happily drown in. He took a breath through his nose and flipped them over so that he was hanging over Luhan. He pulled back to ask one question. "Can I make you feel that?"

 

Luhan nodded with great enthusiasm and pulled Sehun back down for more and more kisses. Sehun spent his time learning and giving and making sure Luhan knew how he felt. It wasn't about pleasure anymore. It was about the care and the tenderness and the love. It was an amazing feeling. It would be over in the morning, but he would not regret it.

 

Even if this feeling was only for one night, Sehun could take this love and move on.

 

Right?

 

\-----

 

When morning came, Sehun woke to the most beautiful face he had ever known. Luhan slept next to him, quiet snores the only sound Sehun could hear. He watched Luhan’s sleeping face and slowly ran the back of his hand over that flawless face. He almost looked happy while he was sleeping. Sehun smiled at such an innocent, defenseless expression.

 

The brush of his hand caused Luhan to stir. Sehun pulled the hand back to let him rest more and Luhan settled back into peaceful sleep. But even while watching Luhan sleep, Sehun couldn’t get himself to fall back into slumber. He tried for quite some time, but it never came back to him. Letting out a quiet breath, Sehun gave up and got up from bed.

 

After getting dressed, he grabbed his cloak and his shoes and left the room. When he was outside, he donned his cloak and shoes and walked about the city, looking for a place to pray.

 

He hadn’t felt the need to pray since his fight with Luhan earlier. Now he felt he needed to have a conversation with the gods. He didn’t know what to do. He still felt Luhan’s touch all over him, love running through his veins and making him feel whole. He felt like he was enough when Luhan held him like that last night and he glowed with happiness at the memory. But it was all coming to an end. Sehun wondered if there was a way they could both get what they needed and still be together. Maybe Taeyeon would show up this time and give him some answers.

 

Eventually, Sehun did find a shrine. It was much smaller than the ones he had come across before. Even the one in the forest had been larger than this. But that didn’t stop Sehun from kneeling before it. He hesitated to wash his face in it when it was so cold out. But when he cupped his hands and put them in the water, he found it warmed. Maybe it was a small spring, or maybe it was a little bit of magic, but Sehun was grateful for it.

 

He washed his face and closed his eyes, settling into prayer that was so practiced it was second nature. When he started his conversation with the gods, Sehun asked a million and one questions. He asked why they had picked him. He asked the sky goddess why she had picked him out of the millions of children born daily on this planet. He asked why they wanted him to take on such heavy rolls. He asked what they wanted of him. But most importantly, he asked what he should do. Sehun had no idea how long he sat there, praying and taking the time of the gods with his mountain of worries.

 

Somewhere in the middle of his prayers, someone sat down near him, a respectable distance away. Sehun didn’t pay them any mind. They were as quiet as he was and they stayed as long as he had. It wouldn’t have mattered at all, but when he opened his eyes, Joonmyun was the one seated next to him. His eyes were open, but he was still in the middle of prayer. Sehun made to get up, but that was when Joonmyun chose to speak.

 

“Have you made your final decision?” he asked. Sehun paused, sitting back down at the question. It was clear Joonmyun had something to say, and if this was a sign from the gods, Sehun couldn’t be sure. Maybe it would help him clear some of his thoughts.

 

“I think so…” Sehun answered. Too bad the hesitation made it into his voice. Had he come to a decision? Yes, long ago when Luhan first told him who he was to become. But was he confident in that decision? He was before last night. He had been angry when Luhan told him he would have to leave if Sehun refused. It made Sehun’s decision rigid and he was not apologetic for it. But last night had been such a wonderful night and it had changed so many thoughts in Sehun’s head. He wondered if he could do this at all.

 

“You don’t sound so sure,” Joonmyun said. He ended his formal prayer and turned to Sehun with a knowing expression. “I think you would feel different than you currently do if he had told you everything.”

 

“What do you mean?” Sehun asked, shifting into a more comfortable position. He fingered his cloak and the fine needlework it now bore. It would be impossible to forget Luhan with a gift like this.

 

“First, let me ask you: what has he told you?”

 

“What I need to become king,” Sehun answered. “I need my powers to be complete. I need three gifts from representatives of the sky. And I need the right heart.”

 

“And so far, it only sounds to me like you have one of those things,” Joonmyun said.

 

“Luhan said I had all three gifts,” Sehun mumbled. “But I have no idea what he’s talking about and he didn’t bother explaining.”

 

“The three gifts are to express approval of your candidacy,” Joonmyun explained. “If you have all three of them, you have met both the Sun and Moon Witches and they have given you something. I don’t know if it’s a physical item or not. I never received anything because I refused to meet them.”

 

“The third gift is from the Star Child, right?” Sehun asked. “Because Luhan said he’s given me the third one already.”

 

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Joonmyun hummed. “My Star Child gave me something too and wouldn’t tell me what it was. When she left me, I assume she took it back.”

 

“The thing that I’m confused by, though, is that I met the Moon Witch,” Sehun said when Joonmyun finished speaking. “But I never met the Sun Witch. So I don’t know how I could have gotten their gift.”

 

“You probably met them and didn’t know who they were,” Joonmyun said with a small smile. “They didn’t have to tell you who they were. They only had to pass on their blessing.”

 

“Like Luhan didn’t have to tell me about my powers,” Sehun whispered to himself. He was still hurt by that, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He had to let it go.

 

“Did you ever think there was a reason he was so desperate for you to become king that he would lie to you?” Joonmyun asked. “Because 'why' was a question I never asked my Star Child until it was too late.”

 

Sehun hadn’t thought about that before. He only thought about being forced into this situation. Only thought about being made into the perfect candidate for the throne of the sky kingdom. It wasn't fair.

 

“This answers my question,” Joonmyun said with a sigh. “He never told you everything.” Then he turned completely to face Sehun, body completely square with Sehun’s. “But before I tell you what he failed to mention, I have a few more things to ask.”

 

“Like what?” Sehun questioned in irritation. He wanted to know what Joonmyun was getting at. Tell him what he needed to know and get it over with. This decision was already weighing on him. If Joonmyun had information that would change his mind, then Sehun wanted to know.

 

“Like whether or not you are aware that your powers aren’t complete, yet,” Joonmyun asked. Calmly, he removed one of his gloves from his hand without any explanation.

 

“I was not aware,” Sehun grunted. He wasn’t exactly excited about this news, but it put a rock in Luhan's path. Even if Sehun agreed to become king, Sehun didn’t completely qualify yet. “I have wind-“

 

“Wind. Lightning. Sunlight. Snow,” Joonmyun listed with confidence. “All of the weather. But you’re missing a very basic one.”

 

Sehun blinked and his mind blanked for half a second before the one he was missing came to his head. “Rain,” he said softly.

 

“That’s right,” Joonmyun confirmed. “And do you know how you gain the pieces of your power?”

 

Sehun shook his head. Luhan hadn’t actually explained that part in detail.

 

“Physical touch,” Joonmyun told him. “Skin to skin. Not through clothing. I got my first extension of my natural born powers when I met Minseok. We shook hands and I grew sick with uncontrollable chills until I figured out what was happening to me. A few days later, my Star Child came into my life, dropping out of the sky like a falling star. She told me what was going to continue to happen to me. I grew so frightened that I put on these gloves and never took them off. I didn’t want the rest of my gift.”

 

He threw his glove on the ground then and held out his bare hand for Sehun. Sehun didn’t take it.

 

“My last question is whether or not you love Luhan as much as I think you do,” Joonmyun asked. He never wavered in his offer for Sehun to take his hand.

 

This question angered Sehun. “Of course I do!” he growled. “But what is that of your concern?”

 

“I’ll tell you,” Joonmyun said, leveling Sehun with a serious stare. “I have the gift you’re missing, the rain, and I would recommend you take it. What you do with it is not my business. You can take it and decide you want to be king or you can use your power to protect yourself and those you care about. But if you don’t take it, there is almost no chance of you ever seeing Luhan after this day. None.”

 

That put a lump in Sehun’s throat. If he took Joonmyun’s hand, he might have a chance to see Luhan again. But he would also remain a candidate for the throne until someone else took it. He could be harassed by the gods about it forever. But if he didn’t’ take Joonmyun’s hand, there would be no hope in ever seeing Luhan again.

 

“Why?” Sehun questioned. “What does taking your hand mean for Luhan and I?”

 

“It means he still has time to convince you,” Joonmyun answered honestly.

 

Finally, Sehun had enough. “Why is he so desperate for me to be king?” he asked.

 

Joonmyun's smile was sad. “Luhan was sent from the gods,” he explained. “His soul was borrowed from someone who never got to live life. They were either stillborn or died before their first year. But a soul that young yearns to live. So when the gods have tasks that need doing on earth, they pick one of them. They give them the opportunity to earn a full life.”

 

“Earn?” Sehun repeated, brow furrowing.

 

Joonmyun nodded. “The mission of the Star Child is how they earn their second chance. They have to complete it in order to live.”

 

Sehun felt his breath coming quicker and even more than before. He was starting to put it all together. Now he didn’t know what to do at all.

 

“He’s on a time limit, Sehun,” Joonmyun reiterated. “He’s been hoping you would say yes to his requests because that means he could spend a life with you. But Minseok has told me how important choice is to you. Luhan didn’t want to force your hand. He didn’t want to make you feel guilty. That’s why he didn’t tell you this. He still gave you everything you would need to take the throne. But he wanted you to choose and he hoped for a particular outcome. I decided, based on what I went through, that you needed to know.”

 

“So he’ll die if I say no?” Sehun questioned, breathless. He was thinking of that beautiful face he woke up next to this morning. In his head, he imagined it disappearing from the world all together.

 

“It’s not for certain,” Joonmyun said. “But it is what is most likely. He can look for another candidate, but those of us that fit the requirements are far and few in between. He might not find another person before his time runs out. And if he does, he still has to get them to the Witches and then find a lift to the Sky Kingdom. From what my Star Child told me, it is very difficult to do. Those that got rejected by their first candidate very rarely completed their mission.”

 

“But it’s possible, right?” Sehun questioned, shaking.

 

“It is,” Joonmyun said, nodding. “But ask yourself if you want to take that risk. Ask what is so scary about both options.” He still had his hand extended and Sehun was looking at it, torn. He was so scared and becoming more scared by both options the more he thought about it. There was too much to take in.

 

Without allowing himself to think too much harder about this, he thought back. He thought about Joonmyun’s comment on what taking his hand meant. It was not a promise to take the throne, but it was a chance to see Luhan again.

 

He reached forward and took Joonmyun’s hand, cold from the winter air. He felt cool water rush through him at the touch and felt sick to his stomach. Joonmyun seemed to be feeling something similar. As soon as they released their clasped hands, they both turned to vomit. Joonmyun had significantly more in his stomach to rid of. Sehun hadn’t taken time to eat that morning and most of what came up was bile. Sehun could see Joonmyun immediately take steps to control the incoming power. On the other hand, Sehun struggled with his fear and failed to immediately accept the power as a part of him.

 

He sat, doubled over as the power fought against him. Reverting to his old self, Sehun pressed down on the new cloud of magic. He smothered it until it was quiet for the time being. He didn’t know yet if he regretted it, but he would find that out soon.

 

He still had to leave. Luhan was resourceful. He could find another candidate. Sehun would wait for him in Aspal until he returned with another potential king. The gods would not abandon him.

 

At least, Sehun hoped his faith was in the right place. He had nothing to pray for before. But now he prayed with sincerity that Luhan could overcome this and come back to him someday. The other option still scared him, though. The potential for ruining his freedom and never fulfilling his promises.

 

The question was which scared him more?

 

\-----

 

After the discussion with Joonmyun, they both parted to take care of themselves. Sehun had to recover before he and his group left later that morning. He was already behind in preparations because he had been out longer than intended.

 

Luhan was long since up when Sehun got back to his room. His side of the bed was cold and Sehun wondered if Luhan had gone back to his room to pack. He would be leaving today as well, just not on the lift like everyone else was.

 

He looked out the window at the shadows that were passing over them. This was the shadows of the floating kingdom and these shadows would stay for about a week. During that week, anyone could come and go as they pleased on the lifts. Sehun had to make sure he got the information necessary and then get off to go find Taeyeon’s brother.

 

His heart was still beating rapidly from the uncertainty of his choice. What if he was making the wrong one? What if this wasn’t what he should be doing.

 

A knock came to his door, startling Sehun out of these thoughts. When the door opened, Baekhyun looked in. “It’s almost time, Sehun,” he said. “Grab your things and we’ll all head over to the lifts.”

 

Sehun nodded, unable to open his mouth and speak. He worried he would throw up again or say something stupid if he opened his mouth. But Baekhyun didn’t question it and left him to his things. Sehun finished packing quickly, leaving things more disorganized than they usually were. His two little gemstones stayed safe in a tied off pocket, though. Those he had to be careful with.

 

Upon leaving the room, he found Luhan standing to the side of his door. He didn’t look happy, but he didn’t say anything about Sehun leaving before he woke up. Sehun looked at him, an apology written in his eyes and he took Luhan’s hand, lacing their fingers together.

 

“Where did you go this morning?” Luhan asked as they moved down the hall towards the entrance.

 

“I went to pray,” Sehun answered. Though, he did leave out the bit about Joonmyun.

 

“Oh?” Luhan hummed, looking at Sehun with slight surprise.

 

Sehun nodded and smiled. “I had a lot to ask. But I also wanted them to take care of you. Protect you.”

 

“I can protect myself,” Luhan muttered, but he gave Sehun’s hand a squeeze. He was afraid. Sehun could see that now that he knew what failing his mission meant. But Sehun knew it wasn’t impossible and he prayed Luhan would be at his side again someday.

 

The group was waiting for them outside. Baekhyun and Sehun made eye contact and Sehun had to look over Baekhyun and Chanyeol. He wanted to check that their agreement had been held. He was standing close to Chanyeol again, but the distance between them was respectful. Their friendship had been at least somewhat repaired. Baekhyun had taken his steps and he was looking between Sehun and Luhan to see that movement had been made. He seemed satisfied because he wasn’t glaring at Sehun or anything.

 

“I’ve already arranged for a lift this morning,” Chanyeol said. “We just have to arrive and get in. The ride up takes about half an hour.” Everyone nodded. Luhan’s hand squeezed Sehun’s again, begging him not to go. Pleading for him to make a choice where Luhan could stay with him.

 

The walk there is silent. Sehun and Luhan communicate with squeezes and glances between them. Sehun feels so guilty and so ashamed of his fears, but he can’t bring himself to speak. He didn't know how to say what needs to be said to keep Luhan with him forever.

 

The lifts are a lot less impressive than Sehun had imagined them to be, but they would do the trick no less. There were large woven baskets of rattan, half Sehun’s height. They were much larger in width than their little group would need. Sehun imagined every now and then that a large group would come through and ask for passage to the sky kingdom. However, that was likely a rare occurrence. There was a door in the side that their apparent guide opened for them as soon as they arrived.

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun immediately went to place their things down and get settled. They had said their goodbyes to Luhan that morning and refused to make this more difficult. Yixing took his time in saying goodbye to Luhan, giving him a warm hug and a gentle smile. This side of Yixing was always harder to spot, but when it came out, you knew he was sincere. Passing back to the lift, Yixing cast a look in Sehun’s direction. He didn’t need that to be verbalized.

 

Sehun set his things down in the lift and turned back to Luhan, standing before him looking uncertain. Luhan was still begging him with his eyes not to do this, but Sehun felt he had to. Instead of uttering a much needed apology, he gathered Luhan in his arms and gave him a tight hug. Even just standing there with Luhan in his arms, Sehun felt the tears come.

 

“I love you,” he whispered. “Stay safe.”

 

Luhan gripped his back tightly and Sehun didn’t need to see his face to know he was crying, too. “I love you, too,” he returned. “Make something good of yourself.”

 

When Sehun pulled back, he kissed Luhan hard on the mouth, knowing it to be their last opportunity to do so. He tried to give all the love he had to give in that one gesture and Luhan reciprocated it. And when they finished, Sehun stepped back into the lift, closing the door behind him. Luhan came to grip his hands and they shared one last moment while their guide called the magic to the lift.

 

The basket started to lift. Sehun and Luhan held onto each other until their hands slipped from each other. Luhan was crying and Sehun was crying, but he figured they would both get over it. Luhan would be strong, Sehun knew that. He wouldn’t give up. He could earn his right to live. He could find another king.

 

Already thirty feet up and Sehun couldn’t stop staring at Luhan’s figure below him. He would see him again. Luhan could do it. Sehun could live without that smile. Could live without that laugh. Could live without the love. He could live without Luhan. He could-

 

_ "Ask yourself if you want to take that risk."  _

 

What the fuck was he talking about?

 

He couldn’t take that risk. He didn't want to take that risk.

 

“Take me back down.”

 

Everyone looked up at him when he spoke, even the lift operator. “What?”

 

“I said take me back down!” Sehun shouted, rounding on the confused man.

 

“All right! All right!” the operator agreed hastily, throwing his hands up in defense. He started to work the magic in the lift again, but their stop and descent wasn’t fast enough for Sehun’s liking. He needed to get to Luhan. He lifted a foot and put it on the edge of the basket, beginning to lift himself up.

 

“Sehun!” Chanyeol shrieked. “What the hell are you doing?”

 

“What I should have already done by now,” Sehun answered. And before he jumped from the side of the lift, he accepted the rain as the last piece of his own personal puzzle. He let it come to him so that he could be a complete candidate for the throne. There was an audible gasp behind him, but Sehun was too busy calling the wind to him to care.

 

He jumped and the wind cradled his fall as he came back to earth. Luhan was staring up at him in shock, tears still on his cheeks and in his eyes. Sehun landed right before him with a little stumble and the courage finally came to him.

 

“I’ll do it!” he shouted before he could change his mind.

 

“W-what?” Luhan stuttered.

 

“I said I’ll do it!” Sehun repeated. “I’ll be your king. So, please don’t leave. Live. Live by my side.”

 

The reaction from Luhan was delayed, his mouth still hung open and eyes wide. But moments later, Sehun could see relief flood through Luhan as it dawned on him what Sehun had agreed to. But he still didn't speak, and Sehun figured he needed to talk a little more.

 

“What?” he asked, worry shaking his voice. “Do you not want me anymore? I… I got my last gift from Joonmyun this morning! You said I have the gifts from the representatives, which I still don’t understand. And… And you picked me. You can’t change your mind now!”

 

Luhan finally laughed, the tears in his eyes changing to ones of happiness. “I’m not changing my mind,” he said, finally coming out of his shock with a fond smile. “I’m just–”

 

“Sehun, your hair!” Baekhyun yelled as soon as the lift was back on the ground. He burst from the lift and rushed to Sehun. Yixing was right behind him, ready to chastise Sehun for his recklessness. He had scared them all half to death when he jumped from the lift. Baekhyun was all over him, pulling at his hair in interest.

 

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Sehun shrieked. “Let go!”

 

“But your hair is a rainbow!” Baekhyun squealed. “It’s so-“

 

“Beautiful,” Luhan finished for him, prying Baekhyun’s hands gently out of Sehun’s hair. Sehun could finally relax again, except that he was confused by what Baekhyun meant. It didn’t take long for Yixing to pull his mirror out from his things and hand it to Sehun.

 

He took one look at his hair and gasped, nearly dropping the mirror. His hair was a stunning mass of shifting color all over his head. Millions of shades present everywhere. And as he looked at it, he remembered the little boy in Rioda who had been a little too strange. He looked at Luhan and it was clear he was thinking of the little boy, too.

 

“You’ve found your rainbow, Sehun,” Luhan said. A smile graced his lips before he leaned in and stole a kiss neither of them expected to get the chance to have.


	21. Chapter 21

It was less than an hour between running back to grab Luhan’s things and their next attempt at getting into the lift. But this time, all five of them got in and Luhan was still over the moon with how happy he was to not have to leave. He pressed chaste kisses all over Sehun’s face in his happiness and he didn't care that the others were. The others would have been complaining already if they didn’t know what Sehun promised Luhan.

 

“What made you change your mind?” Luhan questioned, pressing another kiss to Sehun’s cheek.

 

“Joonmyun told me something this morning that worried me,” Sehun admitted. “Said you were on a time limit and it may run out if I didn’t agree to take the position.”

 

Luhan paused and he had the decency to look guilty. “I wanted to keep that from you,” he said softly. “I didn’t want to influence your decision.”

 

“Thank you for trying,” Sehun said. “But I would have been devastated if I had chosen wrong and then found out what happened to you much later.”

 

“I had hoped you would never find out,” Luhan sighed. “But I suppose it doesn’t matter now. You have agreed, and I can already feel the difference. However, my life will not be officially granted until you go to present yourself to the courts.”

 

“Where I’m still convinced they will turn me away,” Sehun grumbled. Though he had agreed all on his own, he was still nervous and frightened by certain aspects of this whole thing. Having Luhan here with him made him feel much better, but it was not the cure all. Only time would fix everything else and he could tackle everything one at a time.

 

“They’re not going to turn you away,” Luhan assured Sehun. “They will look at you and ask for proof that of who you are, but you have everything they will need.”

 

“That reminds me, you said I needed to meet the three representatives. Joonmyun said the gifts come from the Star Child, the Moon Witch, and the Sun Witch.”

 

“Yes,” Luhan confirmed.

 

“You are the Star Child,” Sehun said, clarifying what he already knew. “And Kai was the Moon Witch. But when did I ever meet the Sun Witch?”

 

Luhan blinked a few times, not sure what to say at first. Then he burst into a sudden bout of laughter.

 

“What’s so funny?” Sehun demanded. Luhan ruffled his very colorful locks and continued to laugh. Sehun batted the hand away with a whine. When Luhan finally calmed down, he smiled at Sehun with an apology written into the lines of his face.

 

“Let’s just say I’ve lied to you a few more times,” Luhan said. “And you will be mad when you find out. But I promise, we can always take care of it later.” Then he placed a finger in the center of Sehun’s forehead. “After all, you will need to leave Ilesseas again soon anyway to take care of that curse of yours. You won’t be king in time.”

 

“Curse?” Sehun questioned. “The one from the Moon Witch?”

 

Luhan nodded.

 

“How did you know about that?” Sehun questioned. Luhan huffed.

 

“All that magic rolling around in you and you still can’t smell it when it’s right in front of your nose,” Luhan complained. “That curse stinks like rotten eggs.”

 

“Are you telling me I smell?” Sehun growled. For a moment, he completely forgot that Luhan had admitted to lying to him again.

 

“Maybe I am!” Luhan laughed.

 

“Enough over there!” Baekhyun groaned, settling back against the woven rattan. “We’ve let you two have your time, but your incessant babbling and gooey faces are making me feel sick.”

 

“You whine more than Sehun on the first day of exercise,” Yixing pointed out, pinching the back of Baekhyun’s hand. Baekhyun snatched his hand away and rubbed at the abused spot, not saying a word. “We’re almost there. Then you don’t have to be stuck so close to them.”

 

Not that it stopped Sehun and Luhan. The relief was palpable between them and they barely noticed their approaching destination. It was only when they were passing the lower levels of rock that they finally looked up. Luhan wasn’t so surprised, but Sehun had never seen anything like it in his entire life. As they rose through the air, their guide maneuvered them through a series of hanging cliffs. Sehun got to watch the people pass him by along the stone paths of the under levels.

 

But getting above the ground was even better. The kingdom opened up before him. All the sunshine and open sky greeted him along with a vast number of birds that flew in the sky. They passed over white buildings, tall and short alike, people everywhere. And in the distance, there was a castle, the same white with spires and bridges all through its grounds. It looked like no castle Sehun had ever seen.

 

It was obviously not made for defense, since who would be able to attack this kingdom from up there? But it looked no less regal and well taken care of. To the other side of the city, Sehun found another building, something that looked like a shrine from the air. But it was much grander than any that he had seen before. Not only that, but more people sat around the multiple pools, praying. At the very front, there was a small gathering of people around someone.

 

“That’s the shrine of the Seer,” Luhan said when he noticed where Sehun was looking. “That’s our first stop when we land.”

 

“I need to go there as well,” Chanyeol said. “I’ll come with you.”

 

“We’ll all go,” Baekhyun hummed. Yixing seemed to be in agreement. Sehun smiled at all of them and went back to looking while their guide found the landing ports.

 

Sehun didn’t know how to express himself when he finally stepped off the lift. It was a strangely good feeling as his toes hit the dirt path. For a moment, all his doubts faded into the background and he felt some strange sense of belonging. It was like he had always been meant to come here. He was home.

 

But someone came up to him almost immediately. Sehun felt a tug on his pant leg and he looked down, startled. It was only a little girl, and the smile she gave him was so bright that he blinked down at her in confusion. Then she reached up to hand him a flower. Sehun took it with still more confusion and the little girl ran off to hide behind her mother’s skirts. Sehun met eyes with the mother and she came over to him, pulling him into a loving hug. The problem was that Sehun had never seen this woman before.

 

“Um…” he breathed, pulling back more out of discomfort than anything.

 

“Oh! My apologies, Your Highness” she chirped, a slight flush on her face. Sehun flinched at that title, but he tried not to show it. She continued, “Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time. We are all glad you are here. My daughter and I shall be the first to welcome you to your lands.”

 

Luhan stepped forward to take control of the situation. He had noted Sehun's growing discomfort and wanted to take care of it.

 

“Ma’am,” he said, pulling back his sleeve to show her something on his wrist. It was a mark in some kind of intricate design of a star. It glowed and Sehun had never seen it before. But when Luhan lowered his wrist again, the mark disappeared. That answered that question. The woman seemed to understand who Luhan was by seeing that mark. “We appreciate the gesture very much. But he is a little frightened right now. It is not you or your daughter’s fault. He is very young and concerned that he may be not be deserving of such high respect. Would you be so kind as to come back when he has settled a little?”

 

“Of course!” the woman said, her smile never leaving her face. “I should have known. How silly of me. Come, Raina.” Her daughter hopped after her after waving excitedly to Sehun. Sehun waved after the little kid, feeling dazed. Once they were gone, Sehun turned to Luhan.

 

“Thank you for coming to my rescue,” he muttered. “But… how did they know…”

 

“That you’re supposed to be their next king?” Luhan finished. “There's something they can see that you can't. And I can promise you it isn’t your hair alone.” Then he looked to the rest of the group as they got moving again. “Can you see it?” he asked them.

 

The other three that were walking behind them nodded. Sehun frowned in confusion palming at his face to be sure nothing was there.

 

“It’s not on your face either,” Luhan chuckled. “Forget about it for now. Let’s get you to the Seer.” He grabbed Sehun’s hand and dragged him off at a little faster pace. Baekhyun, having the shortest legs, was the only one to complain.

 

On the way through the city, Sehun noted quite a number of people that looked at him. The children were mostly interested in his colorful hair. But the adults would brighten at the very sight of him. It was a little disconcerting and Sehun wished so many people weren't all staring at him. He took a breath to steady himself. He would have to get used to this.

 

“Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked, noting Sehun’s nervousness.

 

“I’m fine,” he answered, trying to smile at the latest passing old man that offered him one in return.

 

“By the end of the day, the whole town is going to know you’re here,” Baekhyun mumbled. Chanyeol pinched the back of his neck in warning. “Ow!”

 

“Don’t make him more distressed, please,” Chanyeol muttered. “He’s already worried enough.”

 

“Sehun?” Luhan said, getting Sehun’s attention. “Do you want to hide your identity for a while? I know how you can conceal it.”

 

“How?” Sehun asked.

 

“Put on your cloak and wear your shoes,” Luhan answered.

 

“What?” Sehun asked, “I can’t.”

 

“Yes, you can,” Yixing said, stepping forward with Sehun’s things. “The Seer has told them about you. He probably gave them things to look out for. Bare feet. Rainbow hair. Perpetually skin and bones. But since you accepted your role, Sehun, there has been a tattoo of a bird on the back of your neck."

 

"That confirms who you are, and the people know this," Luhan added as an explanation.

 

“A bird?” Sehun questioned, a hand going to the back of his neck. He couldn’t feel anything, but if everyone said it was there, it must be there.

 

“Yes,” Luhan breathed. “You’re not watching them all like I am. You see their hopeful smiles when they look at your hair and your shoeless feet. But when you pass, they all point and start talking because they’ve seen the tattoo.”

 

Sehun’s hand drops to his side, fingers clenched tight, willing away the fear. He couldn’t be afraid. People were so happy to see him. Yixing extended his hands with Sehun’s cloak in one and his shoes in the other. Sehun looked at them, tempted to take them and conceal himself for the time being. But as soon as he found himself reaching for the clothing, he mentally slapped himself.

 

Quashing the fear, he turned around to the surprise of everyone in his group and walked away. He went to one of the nearby stalls selling apples. The woman at the cart seemed taken aback by his approach, but she brought a smile to her face. Sehun tried his hardest to smile back.

 

“E-excuse me,” he said trying to be polite. “How do I get to the shrine of the Seer?” He was nervous and she must have seen that, because she didn’t offer much by way of conversation. She was trying to keep his stress levels down.

 

“Take this street all the way to the end,” she instructed. “Then turn left and take that street. If you keep walking, you’ll see it.”

 

“Thank you,” Sehun said, his voice low. He was about to turn and go back to his group when she stopped him.

 

“Honey,” the woman said, getting Sehun’s attention back. When he turned back to her, she was holding a simple red apple out to him. “Take this,” she said, placing it in his hands. “Eat it and breathe easy, my prince.”

 

“Please, don’t call me that,” Sehun pleaded.

 

“No one ever feels they deserve that title,” she told him with a smile. “But know that it is yours and the people will love and support you.” Then she gave him a gentle push back in the direction of his group of friends and Sehun bit his lip in thought.

 

“What was that about?” Baekhyun asked. Sehun shook his head and his fingers tightened around the red apple he now held.

 

“I know where to go now,” Sehun said instead. “Follow me.” He still didn’t take the offered clothing and continued to walk down the street. His bare feet and the shifting rainbow on his head brought constant attention to himself. He tried to not look scared. He tried to focus on the strong sense of belonging that he had gotten as soon as he set foot on this floating land. Thinking about that made it easier to dismiss his discomfort for the time being.

 

By the time they had made their way down the street, Luhan was back at his side. It was almost as if he was defending him from those that wished to approach him while he was uncomfortable. He deflected the attentions of adults and redirected children off onto Yixing. He seemed more than happy to entertain them.

 

Sehun tried to eat the apple and take a few breaths like that woman had suggested. But nothing seemed to make him feel any better. The one thing she had been right about was how to find the shrine. After using her directions, the shrine did come into their view. It appeared not only large, but also well tended to. This was also interesting because there were far more people attending prayer here. Sehun never saw so many people at a shrine in Eriand.

 

More and more people gathered around the shrine the closer they got to it. Still more people turned to look at him. By the time he was standing in front of the gate to the shrine, he had to take a deep breath and push the gate open.

 

They weren’t left on their own for long, though. There was a group of people ahead of them, all circled around someone in pristine clothes. He looked excited about something and his eyes sparkled as he held the hand of a woman in front of him. When he finished speaking, she twirled around and made to run off, supposedly going home, with a smile on her face.

 

Then the young man in the robes looked up and his eyes immediately found Sehun’s. They were catlike eyes and they were piercing, but not unkind. His dark hair was cut to pass no lower than his brow and his lips quirked in a unique bow shape. Then he smiled and stepped forward to greet the group.

 

Sehun froze, not sure what to do except wait. As soon as the man stood in front of him, he bowed to Sehun and reached out a hand. “My name is Zitao, Your Highness,” he said with a wide, toothy smile. “I am the Seer of Ilesseas and I have waited for your arrival for most of my life.”

 

People around them immediately broke into hushed whispers and excited babble. Even if any of them had lived under a rock, they would have known what the bird on the back of Sehun’s neck meant. But hearing it from someone of authority made it more real. Some ran off to tell others. Some stayed to commit their next king to memory. Others still walked away in stunned silence.

 

Luhan nudged Sehun with his elbow since Sehun was still frozen in place. Sehun blinked and came out of it. Behind him, he became aware of Baekhyun saying something, but it wasn’t directed at him. He turned his attention back to Zitao in front of him.

 

Sehun finally extended his hand to take Zitao’s, trying to smile. “I am Sehun,” he said politely. Zitao nodded and shook his hand before letting go.

 

“Come inside,” Zitao said, already heading into the building. “I know some of you have questions, and I will be glad to answer what I can when we are in private.” Luhan followed first and the rest followed. Yixing had to grab Sehun by the upper arm to get him to move, but eventually, Sehun followed on his own.

 

Inside, there were still more pools and then there were rooms built to the side. Sehun assumed these were for the Seer himself and any attendants that he required. Zitao went to one of the doors and pulled it open. This didn't look like any kind of living quarters. This room looked to be some kind of meeting room, with a long table and pillows adorning the floor as seats. The floor was made of grey stone that was cool on Sehun’s feet.

 

Everyone took a seat at the table, picking a cushion while an attendant closed the door behind them. Zitao took a seat at the front of the room and waited while they all got comfortable. Sehun went to take a seat, but Luhan naturally took the cushion from him before he could sit. He didn’t think much of it and instead tried to sit with his legs crossed for any comfort he could get. Luhan got to him for that, too.

 

“Sit properly, Sehun,” Luhan instructed. “This is someone very important and we must be polite.”

 

Sehun winced, but he nodded and shifted his position until he was sitting with his legs under his torso. His hands laid flat in his lap and he sat straight. Zitao smiled.

 

“Ah, I remember seeing this,” he hummed. “The next king would arrive as a servant.” Then he looked at Sehun and waved a finger at him. “You will be punished still many more times while you are here and until the end of your promised time. Do your best.”

 

Sehun nodded and tried not to fidget. Then Zitao addressed the room.

 

“I will answer questions in order,” he said. “Though, some of your questions, I already have seen you asking, others I have not. I may not be able to answer everything, but I will do what I can.”

 

They nodded, and Baekhyun approached Zitao first. He asked for Baekhyun’s hand and Baekhyun offered his hand, palm open and facing upward. Zitao ran his hand over the lines of Baekhyun’s skin, but this was no palm reading. He was familiarizing himself with Baekhyun’s energies.

 

“What is your question, Sun Child?” he asked. Baekhyun jumped, not expecting to be called as such. But he recovered and cleared his throat.

 

“I wish to know what I should do,” Baekhyun said. “After this place, I have nowhere to go.”

 

“You have many places to go,” Zitao corrected him. “You may choose to stay with any one of your friends. And I am seeing Sehun offering you a room in his wing when it is his to offer. Isn’t that right, Sehun?”

 

Sehun jolted back to attention. The stone under his knees was becoming painful to the point of inattentiveness. He flushed. “Of course,” he said. “Baekhyun is my brother as far as I'm concerned. I would let him stay with me if he wished.”

 

“But I also see an offer to return to the capitol city of Eriand with Chanyeol and Prince Yifan,” Zitao continued.

 

“The crown prince?” Chanyeol questioned. “What will he be doing here?”

 

“Baekhyun’s questions first,” Zitao snapped before returning his gaze to the boy before him. Chanyeol made a face and Sehun had to stop himself from laughing out loud. "There is also the chance to return to your grandparents. They are worried for you."

 

“Do you see which way I go?” Baekhyun asked.

 

“I know only that there are things that will make you unhappy in any direction,” Zitao answered. “Choose wisely.”

 

It didn’t appear that Baekhyun liked that answer one bit. He frowned and snatched his hand back before going back to his seat. Yixing stepped up before Chanyeol could even move a muscle.

 

“Hey!” Chanyeol whined. Yixing ignored him and moved in front of Zitao, holding out his hand.

 

As with Baekhyun, Zitao ran his fingers along the lines in Yixing’s palm. His connection was much quicker.

 

“You are of the Moon’s dwelling,” he said. “And you wish to know what to do after you finish here.”

 

“Yes,” Yixing confirmed. “Return or stay?”

 

“Returning will only get you sent out again,” Zitao said. “I would tell you to stay, but it is your choice. Danger is coming to your friends and your master will want you to be near them.”

 

Yixing nodded, thanked Zitao, and went back to his seat. Luhan didn’t have any questions, which didn’t surprise Sehun in the slightest. Luhan always seemed to have all the answers even if he often pretended he didn’t.

 

Chanyeol was next to step forward and offer his hand. He at least beat Sehun out, who was having a difficult time staying still on his knees. Luhan knew this and didn’t let him move. Zitao took Chanyeol’s hand in his and began tracing the lines of his palm. It took longer than both Baekhyun and Yixing’s traces combined. Chanyeol remained patient despite his irritation.

 

When Zitao finally looked up at him, a look of realization crossed Chanyeol face. There was a quiet gasp as he tried to take his hand back.

 

“Well,” Zitao said softly, “it seems like your question has already been answered.” Then he dropped Chanyeol’s hand. “Have you told them about your…” He didn’t elaborate, knowing Chanyeol would understand.

 

“I have not,” Chanyeol said, gulping back his surprise. He was still staring at Zitao with wide eyes and a mouth that refused to stay closed.

 

“Do you intend to tell them?” Zitao asked, meeting Chanyeol’s gaze.

 

“I don’t know yet,” Chanyeol answered. “It’s private and it actually makes me feel uncomfortable knowing that you are aware of it.”

 

“I can assure you I am not the only one that knows,” Zitao said with a little laugh. Sehun noted that this made Baekhyun’s expression grow dim across the table. “The ones that know have kept it a secret, however, and you have kept their secrets, too.”

 

Chanyeol looked to his lap and nodded. “Yes… Until they become necessary to share. And neither my secret nor his has been revealed through me.”

 

“I am the only one with whom it matters, anyway,” Zitao said with a giggle. Chanyeol looked up, confused. Then Zitao smiled at him and fixed his posture. “Don’t look at me like that,” he scolded lightly. “Just know that my favorite sweets are white truffles and you will be fine.”

 

Chanyeol scoffed and went back to his seat, leaving behind a still smiling Zitao. But he turned his gaze to Sehun and beckoned him forward, the kind smile never leaving his face.

 

“Come, my prince,” the Seer said, keeping his voice soft. Sehun hated the title, but he rose from his aching knees and came forward. Unfortunately he had to sit back in that uncomfortable position before Zitao again. Like the others had done, he offered his hand, palm open and facing the ceiling. Zitao took it and traced the lines of his palm.

 

For the first time, Sehun could understand what everyone meant. Before now, he had never seen magic wafting off of anyone. Zitao's magic, was subtle, but it reminded Sehun an awful lot of his own wind magic and how it floated through the air. He wasn’t afraid of the power, however. It touched him gently and wrapped him up in warmth all over his body and made him feel safe.

 

“You have been through much, my prince,” Zitao said. “For one so young, you have seen many hardships.” Sehun didn’t speak to those comments and he didn’t need to ask how Zitao knew. This was the power of the Sight and it was something Sehun could never hope to understand. “What is it you wish to ask?”

 

Sehun took a breath; collecting his thoughts before he spoke. This was the question he had been waiting to know the answer to for so long.

 

“A friend gave her life for mine,” Sehun began, summarizing the events that led him here. “Before she died, she asked me to find her brother.”

 

“You wish to know where this brother is,” Zitao finished.

 

Sehun nodded. “I do.”

 

“Then to find him, I must have something that belonged to your friend,” Zitao said, releasing Sehun’s hand. “I can see her connections through it and find him that way.”

 

Sehun nodded and turned to Luhan. “May I have my things, please?” he asked. Luhan nodded and handed Sehun his pack, full of his disorderly items. He hadn’t bothered to fix it after the events of this morning, but the two gems were right where they should be. He pulled the moonstone from the tied off pocket, the one thing that Taeyeon had given to him before her death. He extended it to Zitao, hesitating to let it go. But the moment it touched Zitao’s hands, his expression changed to one of confusion.

 

“She gave you this?” he asked. Then he looked at the others around the table. “Do you know what this is?”

 

Sehun was first to answer, but he could hear Luhan shifting behind him in his seat. “It’s a moonstone,” Sehun answered. “She snuck it into my things before I escaped from home.”

 

“That’s not the answer I’m looking for,” Zitao said, disbelief in his eyes. He looked to Luhan then and questioned him directly. “Why did you never tell him what this was?”

 

“Because he was not pleased with being named king,” Luhan defended. “Would he have come willingly if he knew where she was sending him and why?”

 

“I don’t understand,” Sehun said between them. Zitao looked back at him and placed the little moonstone back in his palm.

 

“That is a gift from one of the representatives of the heavens,” Zitao told Sehun. “That is typically a gift from the Moon Witch.”

 

“But that’s where it gets a little strange,” Luhan interrupted. “The traditional gifts weren’t given by the usual people. They were switched.”

 

Zitao hadn’t broken eye contact with Sehun once while Luhan spoke. But when Luhan finished, Zitao explained. “Then there is only one person your friend could have been, and she never told you.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Sehun asked, looking between the two of them.

 

“Sehun,” Luhan said, reaching for Sehun’s hand. “Taeyeon, your friend, Baekhyun’s mother, was the Sun Witch. She saved you out of more than a sisterly or motherly bond with you. She saved you so you could become king.”

 

Sehun froze, turning back from Luhan to Zitao, because there was more.

 

“And her brother is not blood related,” Zitao added. “The brother that she spoke of was her sun’s opposite.”

 

“The moon,” Sehun breathed, his posture slacking with this realization. “The Moon Witch.”

 

“And you have already met him.”


	22. Chapter 22

Sehun stormed down the street after leaving the shrine. He had thanked Zitao for the information and left with his things not long after. Luhan hurried out after him while the rest of their group took their time.

 

“Sehun,” Luhan called, catching up to Sehun, “don’t be mad. Please?”

 

“You said I would be,” Sehun bit back, not yet casting a glance in Luhan’s direction.

 

“Yes,” Luhan huffed. “But please. You know you wouldn’t have done any of this if I hadn’t lied a little. Besides, you have to go see him again because of your curse. You can do what you need to then.”

 

Sehun rounded on Luhan, pointing a finger in his face and staring down at him with a frown and a creased brow. “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?” he growled. “Because I swear-“

 

“No!” Luhan shouted over Sehun’s angry tone. “That was the last thing I hid from you. That’s the truth.”

 

“Then make it the last thing you ever hide from me,” Sehun hissed. Then he turned back around and continued stomping his way to the castle. There were people around them chuckling quietly to themselves at Luhan’s misfortune. No one thought Sehun was the unfortunate one. He was going to be king. His little Star Child was a different story.

 

Luhan was treated with respect by the people as well. After all, he was responsible for getting their future king to his destination. He had performed that duty beautifully in the eyes of the people. No one had to know that he almost failed.

 

They ended up sitting at one of the cliff edges so Sehun could listen to the wind and cool his head. In less than a few minutes, Luhan was already leaning on him, begging for his attention. Sehun refused to give it to him. But not even ten minutes later, he was caving, allowing Luhan to rest his head on his shoulder. Less than twenty minutes after they first sat down, Sehun couldn’t stay angry at Luhan anymore. He wrapped an arm around Luhan's shoulders.

 

“I hate you,” he whined unconvincingly. Even as he said it, his thumb brushed over Luhan’s shoulder tenderly.

 

“I know,” Luhan said with a smile. “Feeling better?”

 

“A little.”

 

“Then let’s find the others and get you to the castle,” Luhan suggested. He pulled himself off Sehun’s shoulder and stood. He helped Sehun to his feet as well with an outstretched hand. “Yixing has your cloak, so we can’t go straight to the castle yet.”

 

“Why is my cloak important?” Sehun questioned, taking Luhan's hand and standing. “I can’t wear it anyway.”

 

“You can for this,” Luhan hummed. “And I expect you to because in this case, it’s actually very important. You will need it when you meet the king and his spiritual advisors.”

 

Sehun quirked a brow at Luhan. “This isn’t another secret, is it?” he asked, a warning tone in his voice.

 

“No,” Luhan said with a smile. “I told you exactly what it was. You just never paid attention.” Sehun looked even more confused than he had before, and it only served to amuse Luhan greatly. “I called it a gift, did I not?”

 

“Yeah?” Sehun replied, trying to think about it.

 

“A gift,” Luhan said with a smile, “from the Star Child.”

 

Then it clicked. “My cloak? That’s your gift?” he asked. Then he laughed. “What? Was it the effort you put into the needlework?”

 

Luhan smirked. “You’ll see what it is when you need it. Now come on!” Then he grabbed Sehun’s hand and dragged him back to the square near the shrine. No doubt that their group would still be there.

 

\-----

 

“Should have made Sehun pay for the food,” Baekhyun grumbled. “Running off for half an hour and not telling us where he’s going.”

 

“I have no money,” Sehun grunted. “You know that. You guys confiscate it all.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Baekhyun mumbled. “Well, I’m taking it out of the coins you specifically earned.” Like Baekhyun could tell which ones those were. Sehun decided to stay on the safe side and not say anything.

 

The walk over was filled with useless chatter that Sehun ended up blocking out as they got closer to the castle. He wanted to keep himself calm. His magic, sensing his distress, was beginning to act up. His body began radiating with slight traces of lightning as a defense mechanism.

 

“Sehun, calm down,” Chanyeol said, voice soft and soothing. It brought Sehun back to himself and he called his powers back into his control. That hadn’t happened in quite a while.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said as he stopped his movement forward for a moment. “I’m just…”

 

“Scared,” Yixing said, filling in the blank. “We understand. This is quite a change in your life. It’s normal to be afraid of change. Particularly this magnitude of change.”

 

“But you’re being so brave,” Luhan praised. “And I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when they see you walk in there. You’ll see. They’re going to welcome you with open arms.”

 

Sehun wished this were as easy as they all made it sound. He felt so small and so unworthy of a position like this. But everyone was saying it was in him. This was his right to take. “You guys won’t leave me when I become-“ He took a breath before he said it. “-king, right?”

 

“Never,” Yixing assured him. “We will all be right beside you. We’re your friends.”

 

“Your actions got my mother killed,” Baekhyun interrupted bitterly. Sehun flinched, but then Baekhyun gripped his hand and gave him a smile colored with sadness. “But all that means is that you have to take her place and become my family. I didn't see it at first because I was too angry, but I can see you mourning her now. I know I made a lot of horrible choices in whatever fucked up relationship we've had. But I'll stay as your family if you still want me to consider you a brother.”

 

Sehun couldn’t believe his ears. He almost didn’t respond because he didn’t know what he was supposed to say. But he gripped Baekhyun’s hand back and nodded, the tears coming to his eyes.

 

“I do still want you as my brother,” he said, leaning his forehead down against Baekhyun’s. “I can’t replace her,” he told Baekhyun. “But I can try to be enough family for you. I can try.”

 

Baekhyun nodded, met eyes with Sehun and then pulled back. “First, you need to get this over with,” he said. “We will all be right next to you.”

 

With that discussion, Sehun was able to stand a little taller. He took another deep breath and found the strength to fight the fear. Before he knew it, the gates of the castle were before them, a guard posted on either side with lance in hand. They were thin, but they looked no less able bodied and Sehun wasn’t nearly as trained as they were. It was a good thing he wouldn’t have to fight these men.

 

One of the soldiers stepped forward upon the group’s arrival and walked straight up to Sehun. He tried to straighten up to his full height so he would look presentable. He still didn’t feel the rank he was supposed to inherit, but he felt braver.

 

“My Lord,” the soldier greeted, a curt bow accompanying the title. “Are you here to be assessed?”

 

Sehun nodded, his tongue heavy in his mouth. That wasn’t good enough for Luhan. Sehun usually didn't need reminders to give verbal responses. It was the nerves that were jumbling his brain and making him slow. But Luhan was going to pound those nerves right out of him.

 

“Speak, Sehun,” Luhan grunted.

 

Sehun swallowed and tried to dispel the tension inside himself. “Yes,” he managed. “I am.”

 

“Then please follow me,” the guard said, trying to hide the smile forming on his lips only for the sake of formalities. It was clear that he was like any of the other citizens and he too had waited years for Sehun’s appearance. The sigh of relief that was rippling through this country was hard to believe.

 

Sehun and the group followed the guard through the front gate and up a series of steps. The castle loomed over them, but it did not frighten Sehun so much now that he was here. What frightened him more was who he would meet inside. He would no doubt meet the king himself, but Luhan also mentioned the spiritual advisors. Despite knowing nothing of them, they frightened him. Any nobles would also make Sehun nervous. Their kind hadn’t exactly made him feel safe in the past.

 

Entering the palace was like coming into a whole new world. The walls were lined in evenly placed stone and marble. The floor was cool under Sehun’s feet as it had been in Zitao’s shrine and the walls extended high above his head. There was light everywhere, extending from crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. The royal seal hung on banners placed very so often down the hall. Even with what little Luhan had told him, Sehun was not surprised the crest contained the image of a bird.

 

The first person they came across was a servant boy. He ducked to the side as soon as he saw them, but it was more a polite move than one afraid of being caught in the way. His eyes were on Sehun, too, but he was quicker to look away and run off as soon as they had passed.

 

The second person they met was no doubt a noble. He was dressed in fine clothing from head to toe and he didn’t seem at all nervous when he approached Sehun’s group. He gave them all a formal bow, which Sehun was expected to reciprocate, and then he moved on. Sehun didn’t dare turn around to see if the man had checked the back of his neck.

 

They met a few more people after that, a wide array of people that included both nobles and common folk. It appeared that court was being held at this moment. There was a line outside of the throne room and Sehun winced at having to wait. However, the guard took him and his group straight through the line. At first there were mutters of complaint, but they were all quieted seconds later.

 

Following the silence, there was suddenly excitement in the air. Whispers bounced off the stones of the hall and Sehun tried to not let it get him too nervous again. The guard told them to wait right there outside the door. Then he pushed his way into the court, quiet so he didn’t disturb the person already inside with the king. Luhan took this time to take Sehun’s white cloak from Yixing and wind it around Sehun’s body. It didn’t hide how tattered his clothes were, but that was not the point. He didn’t force Sehun to wear shoes. He knew Sehun would have rebelled. He could tell Sehun didn’t like wearing his cloak now, but this was necessary; shoes were not.

 

“Ready?” Luhan asked.

 

“As ready as I’m going to be,” Sehun answered, keeping his voice down. He didn’t want to draw even more attention to himself. As soon as he said that, the door opened again and someone came out. The guard that had escorted them there ushered them inside. Sehun took a breath and held it, making sure his back was straight as he walked in.

 

Inside, a large room greeted them. The first thing Sehun noticed was the ceiling, made completely of glass. Next were the large windows that took up all the walls. There was no stone except what they stood on and the let all the light in. Sehun let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He didn’t feel trapped in there at all. His composure faded quickly as he became mesmerized by the beauty of the room. He spun in circles, taking in every aspect of it. He felt like he was flying in there. He could reach up and touch the clouds if he wanted. It was a sense of freedom he had never had the luxury of feeling.

 

A warning hand fell on his shoulder and Sehun was pulled back to reality. He turned to look at Luhan who appeared amused and at the same time not. He indicated with a nod of his head the end of the room. Sehun looked and there was a throne at the far end. Not only that, but there was a rather old man sitting in the chair, smiling at him.

 

“I-I’m sorry,” he blurted, the shame of letting himself go immediately coming to him, “Your Majesty.”

 

The king moved to rise from his seat and an attendant came to his side to assist. She took the king's hand and helped him move down the three steps from his throne. Sehun felt the urge to step forward so he did not have to move so much. He stepped forward, hoping he wasn’t being too bold in the presence of someone of such high status. When he was only a few feet away, Sehun dropped to the floor and prostrated himself out of respect for the king.

 

“Please rise, child,” the king said in an aged, tired voice. “I am not someone you need bow so lowly to.”

 

Sehun hesitated, but a hand on his back assured him it was all right to do so. He slowly got up, holding his left arm and feeling insecure and small. He couldn’t meet the eye of the king yet, but he was aware of him turning to his attendant and speaking.

 

“Go get the advisors, dear,” he whispered. “I will be fine without you for a few moments.” She nodded and let him go once he was stable on his feet. Then she was off at a swift walk, leaving through the door. The king turned back to Sehun and his kind smile never faded. “My boy, I have waited long for you to arrive.”

 

Sehun looked up and felt put on the spot. He had agreed to come here and had worked up the courage, but he was still afraid.

 

“I apologize on his behalf,” Luhan said, stepping forward. “It was not easy to get him to come here, Your Majesty.”

 

The king laughed a little. “No, I imagine it was rather difficult. I remember being his age and confused.” And just like a parent might, he reached a wrinkled hand forward and ruffled Sehun’s hair. “That hair of yours is magnificent,” he said by way of praise.

 

“Th-thank you, Your Majesty,” Sehun squeaked softly. 

 

“I bet it catches a lot of attention,” the king grunted. “Does that make you nervous?”

 

“Very much, sir,” Sehun answered. Because the conversation was light, Sehun found his voice and he looked up anxiously at the king.

 

“Do you not know how to make it stop?”

 

Sehun shook his head and Luhan nudged him in the back to remind him. “No, sir,” he answered. “I grew up hiding my magic. Many things about it are still difficult to control for me.”

 

“That’s a sad thing to hear,” the king said, voice growing softer. “I had thought Eriand praised magic. But it seems some families still hesitate.”

 

“I am not from Eriand, sir,” Sehun corrected. “I am from Nimrine.”

 

“Ah, then that explains it,” the king said, shuffling slowly over to one of the windows. Sehun followed, wondering if he needed to aid the old king. But when he reached the window and stood next to the king, the view took his breath away. He almost didn't hear the king continue to speak while he took in the broad sky and the series of sky islands. “Nimrine has been a problem for years. Driving all their magic into hiding. They’re going to kill their lands. I would say you left in time.”

 

“I didn’t leave because I wanted to,” Sehun said.

 

“No,” the king agreed. “You left because fate told you it was time.”

 

Sehun was about to respond, but as he opened his mouth, the door opened. Two men Sehun assumed to be the advisors came through with the girl. She returned to the king’s side and the advisors approached him with pleasant smiles.

 

“What do you require, my lord?” one of them asked.

 

“Ah, hello,” the king said with a smile. Then he indicated Sehun. “This young man is who we have been waiting for.”

 

The advisors looked to Sehun, who shrank under their gaze. It was not an unfriendly gaze, but more an examining one. The one on the left seemed to find something he was looking for and beckoned for Sehun to step forward.

 

“What is your name?” the advisor asked, pulling back his pale green sleeves. He circled around Sehun’s back, keeping slow so as not to frighten him. Then he pulled the collar of Sehun's cloak down so he could check for the tattoo. He was gentle and careful to only pull the collar down far enough for him to see and not choke Sehun.

 

“Sehun,” he answered, feeling uncomfortable as a finger brushed over the back of his neck. The touch was presumably to check that the tattoo was real and not an ink imitation. The second advisor took Sehun’s hands and turned them over a few times. He ran his hands over Sehun’s work roughened skin.

 

“Can you use all your gifts, Sehun?” the second advisor asked.

 

Sehun almost nodded, but he didn’t want to be reminded by Luhan again. “I can,” he answered. “Though, not well.”

 

“Much training will be required,” the one advisor at his back said. He patted Sehun’s head like he were a child. Sehun held back the scowl that threatened to mar his face “But he shall be a good young king.”

 

“Wait a moment,” the second advisor said, letting go of Sehun’s hands. “Can we see your blessings?”

 

Sehun cleared his throat and nodded, adding a small, “Yes.” Then he looked back at Yixing for his two gemstones. He pulled them from the tied off pocket and handed them to Sehun. He turned back around to show them to the two advisors. The two men took the two gemstones and examined them, looking for any magic they might hold.

 

The first looked over the moonstone and hummed in thought. “A gift of hope.”

 

The second held up the sunstone and added, “A gift of love.” Then he looked back at Sehun with a raised brow. “And your third gift?”

 

Sehun didn’t exactly know how to show it, but he picked at the edges of his cloak.

 

“Open it, Sehun,” Luhan encouraged. “Show them the inside.”

 

Sehun didn’t know how that would help, but he looked down and opened the front of his cloak to show off the needlework. But as soon as he opened it, he gasped and took in the sight that was his cloak. It wasn’t a pattern of needlework any longer. It was a bright image of the real stars in the sky. It was magic at its finest and he wondered how Luhan had managed to give him this while Sehun was unaware.

 

“A Cloak of Stars,” the first advisor said, impressed. “A gift of devotion. All wonderful blessings.” They returned his gems and Sehun held onto them as if they were a lifeline to his old life. However, they were his ticket into a new life as well. The cloak returned to its normal cloth and needlework when he closed it. “Welcome, Prince Sehun,” the advisors said. “We have confirmed your identity as our next king. We'll prepare to make the announcements right away.”

 

Sehun froze. “Is that it?” he asked, clearly a little confused.

 

“Did you expect more?”

 

Sehun blinked and nodded his head, ignoring the glare Luhan fixed him with. He might start getting lashes if his manners lapsed too many times, but he really didn't know what to say. The advisors seemed to understand.

 

“Though your journey was long,” the first advisor began, “confirming your identity is effortless. Not to mention the Seer has given us a few clues as to who you are.”

 

“Your rainbow hair, while bright, isn’t completely unique,” the second advisor said. “If another person came here with your gift and didn’t know how to control it, they might have the same hair. But if they don’t have the blessings, they would not qualify.”

 

“So,” Sehun spoke, wetting his lips. “I could have arrived here with this hair, not had the gifts, and not been admitted? Someone else could have showed up and had the blessings and been chosen.”

 

“Correct,” the green robed advisor said. “But that doesn’t matter now. You are here and you have supplied everything that was expected of you. You are now a prince of this kingdom.”

 

“And a good thing, too,” the old king coughed. “I was worried no one would be here to take my place before I died.”

 

“We hope you can hang on a little longer, Your Majesty,” the first advisor said. The look he gave the king was almost apologetic. “He has much to learn before he is capable of taking your place.”

 

“I will do my best,” he said. “But I fear I don’t have much time left.”

 

They nodded and Sehun looked to his friends, unsure of how he was going to do this. But then he remembered he had a few things to ask for.

 

“I’ll be getting a room, correct?” he asked. “I would like to extend rooms to my friends. Luhan and Baekhyun are the most likely to stay on a permanent basis, but I would like Yixing to have accommodations available. Chanyeol as well if he is ever in the area. Can I ask for that?”

 

“Of course, Young Prince,” the second advisor said. “You may have anything you wish.”

 

“Not anything,” Chanyeol spoke up. “Not until the end of a year.”

 

“And why is that?” the second advisor asked, brow raised.

 

“Sehun signed a legal document marking him a slave for a year,” he informed them. “He signed it willingly and I doubt he would allow you to terminate it early.” When the advisors turned to Sehun for confirmation, he nodded and they sighed.

 

“Will he be able to train for the throne?”

 

“Absolutely.” Chanyeol answered readily. “On a normal day to day basis, he is not treated like a slave in conversation and he can even take part in most activities. But if he has a task to do, he is expected to do it. There are also stipulations on what he can and can’t have. Punishment is also something that happens, and it happens quite often.”

 

The advisors looked between each other nervously, but in the end, they knew they had to abide by the contract. “As you wish. We would like to see the contract, but we will see that he follows the rules until he is released of it.”

 

“You won’t need to,” Baekhyun spoke up. “If we are allowed to stay here, any of us can keep him in line. He just has to do as you say and we will not punish him or take privileges from him as long as the requests are within reason. Such as work for lessons.”

 

“You will have it,” the first advisor said. "Now come, Sehun. We have to prepare you for the announcement. Couriers will be sent out to tell the people." Then he took Sehun by the hand and the group followed them out.

 

\-----

 

Only a few hours later, Sehun found himself dressed in finery that he never dreamed of possessing. It had been a struggle getting him to put on anything beyond a shirt and a pair of pants. He had even flat out refused to wear the shoes. But they finally had him dressed in the ceremonial robes of a prince.

 

“You look like a fluffy cloud,” Baekhyun teased. Sehun uncomfortably patted down the white and silver fabric that adorned his body.

 

“I feel so weird,” he commented. “I don’t even know how they got me in these. How am I going to get out?”

 

“Quit panicking,” Yixing said dryly. “It’s getting bothersome at this point.”

 

Sehun was about to retort when he felt gentle hands grasp his shoulders. He looked up at Luhan and said, “Is it too late to change my mind?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” Luhan said with a laugh. “You will be fine. These robes are only ceremonial. You won’t have to wear them all the time.”

 

“What about when I have to see people in court?”

 

“Those robes are more comfortable,” Luhan promised. “You need to be sitting in those for quite a while when you need to wear them, so they have to be.”

 

Sehun wasn’t so sure he could do this. He hadn’t been sure all day, but it was starting to hit him hard now. This whole announcing him to the kingdom thing was driving his anxiety up miles a minute. He wasn’t taking it well.

 

“Prince Sehun,” an attendant said softly. “Are you almost ready?”

 

Sehun jumped a mile high and that was it. He ran off without thinking about it. But he had only gotten the tour of the castle less than hour after arriving. He quickly got lost, not yet knowing the halls and rooms. But by the time he realized his mistake, he was already far too deep to retrace his steps.

 

He turned to go back, but a little bird flew down the hall, singing a very familiar song. Sehun stopped.

 

Entranced, he followed the little bird. It led him down different hallways, stopping for him at every turn. When it finally picked a doorway, Sehun found himself in a room where a pool sat. At first, Sehun assumed this was some form of bathing area. Then he realized the pool was shallow and cushions lined the edge of the room. This was a spot of prayer. Looking at the bird circling above him again, Sehun smiled and went to the side of the pool.

 

He discarded the cushion and knelt before cleaning his face in the water for a short prayer. Then the bird came and landed on his shoulder. Sehun peeked into the reflection in the pool, expecting to see Taeyeon. But he stopped when the woman he saw in the reflection was not Taeyeon.

 

The woman smiled up at him, an almost loving expression on her beautiful features. Even before either of them said anything, he felt like there was something he should know about her but didn’t. It was with a start that he realized how gently her reflection held his shoulders. Then he noted the sadness and joy in her eyes as she looked at him. He took in how her face seemed both familiar and not at the same time. But it was her hair that finally made him understand.

 

Starlight.

 

“Mother?” he asked, already feeling the tears sting the back of his eyes.

 

She smiled and nodded her head, a slow, graceful movement. “Don’t cry, Sehun,” she said softly, but it was too late for that. He was already crying, fat, shining tears already running down his face. “Please, baby.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Sehun said, rubbing at his eyes and trying to stop more from coming. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I just… I can’t believe it’s you.”

 

“It was me that night in the tree, too,” she told him.

 

Sehun looked down at her reflection with confusion. “The tree?”

 

“When your powers were taken away,” she clarified. “You ran away and hid in a tree. You thought I was Taeyeon.” She laughed a little. “I wanted to tell you I was still there. I was still with you even when you felt like you were alone.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Sehun apologized. “I didn’t know it was you.”

 

“I know,” she said. “I wasn’t upset with you. On the contrary, I’ve always been very proud of you. You’ve been so brave. I’m sorry I couldn’t have been there with you.”

 

Sehun shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault,” he whispered. Then he bit his lip and smiled down at her, “Thank you for giving birth to me, mom.”

 

Her reflection hugged him tightly around the shoulders and kissed his cheek. The bird on his shoulder nuzzled its little head against his cheek. “My sweet baby boy,” she said. “I have loved you from the day you were born to this day and I will love you until forever. Always know that.”

 

Sehun nodded and he wished he could touch her and hug her the way she appeared to be hugging him at that moment. “I love you, too, mom.”

 

When her arms in the reflection loosened, she then looked at him with a different smile. “Now, I must speak to you about your announcement.”

 

“You want me to go back,” Sehun muttered.

 

“Of course, I do,” she said, laughing a little. “You will make a great king.”

 

“Everyone keeps saying that, but I don’t feel so sure,” Sehun said. “They asked me to pick a ceremonial name, but I can’t even do that. How am I going to run a kingdom?”

 

“You will be fine,” she assured him. “Your friends are there to help you. They won’t let you fail.” Then she paused and made a little hum. “Would you like me to help you with your ceremonial name? I couldn’t help you with anything else, but I can help you with this.”

 

“Yes, please,” Sehun begged, bending closer to the water to listen intently. She laughed.

 

“Then how about…”

 

\-----

 

By the time Luhan found him again, Sehun was feeling much better. He felt less anxious after speaking with his mother and more confident. Knowing that she had always been watching him settled his heart. Luhan looked displeased with Sehun for running, but no punishment was assigned. He probably worried a consequence would scare Sehun more.

 

“Feeling better?” he asked. Sehun nodded and managed a small smile as Luhan led him back.

 

“I still don’t know how I’m going to do this,” he answered honestly. “But I think that’s okay for now.” That was when they appeared back in the waiting room. Everyone looked at him as he came back in. The maids that had dressed him hurried to him to fix his ruffled robes with frowns of displeasure.

 

“Are you ready now?” Baekhyun asked, coming to his side. “Your people are waiting to meet you.”

 

“I think so,” Sehun said with another nod. Then a more confident nod. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

 

“And your ceremonial name?” Luhan questioned.

 

Sehun smiled brightly and leaned in to whisper it in Luhan’s ear. The way Luhan’s face brightened, he seemed to agree that it was a good choice.

 

When Sehun appeared before the king with an apology, they were able to get on with the announcement. The king chuckled to himself and patted Sehun's head as if to tell him it was all right. Then Sehun was ushered to a large balcony that overlooked an even bigger square. Even though he wasn’t brought out yet, he could see that people packed themselves into every crack. The couriers had made quick work after Sehun was accepted into the palace. But the people hearing the message were quicker. They had all come to see his introduction to them.

 

The current king already stood at the edge of the balcony, making a speech to the people. He spoke about their kingdom and the things they look for in a king. He went into detail about finding the right person and how long it had taken but everyone had been so patient. Sehun felt like he was getting them excited over nothing. Then there was a cheer and the king turned to him, beckoning him forward with a wrinkled hand.

 

He didn’t move fast enough for Luhan’s liking, so a little shove came to his back, causing him to stumble forward a little. But when he looked back at his friends’ encouraging faces, he looked back at the people and stepped up to the king’s side.

 

There were people squished between other people and children hanging from lamp posts. There were people lifting others up and still more on top of roofs. All of them were trying to find some place to see him in the crowd. There were so many people that it was overwhelming.

 

“My people, this is Prince Sehun,” the king announced in a voice that seemed too loud for his frail body. Something told Sehun magic was at work here and he really didn’t care. “He is my eventual successor and rightful heir to the throne of Ilesseas. Watch over and guide him as you have me all these years.”

 

The people applauded and the king went quiet for a time. Then he looked at Sehun and swung his hand out towards the people in an invitation. Sehun assumed he was supposed to say something, but nothing came to his head. He felt his heart beat wild in his chest. Instead, he bowed deeply to the people. The crowds went silent and stared at him, waiting.

 

“Please, watch over me!” he yelled, giving his voice to the people for the first time. Then the king laughed beside him and pulled him to a straightened position. Sehun didn't stop speaking, though. "I don't know anything about leading people. But I'll try my absolute best. Please be patient with me!"

 

No one said anything, presumably thinking there was more. But Sehun's courage was spent on so few words. He would have more later, but not now. Thankfully, the king took it from there.

 

“One day, you will be a fine king, my prince," the king said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Then an attendant brought forth a small bowl of perfumed oil and held it out for the king. The king dipped his fingers in it and turned to Sehun. "Roll up your sleeves, Sehun," he instructed. Sehun did so. 

 

The king took Sehun's hands in his first, leaving fingerprints of oil on Sehun's skin. Then he let his thumbs glide over the back of Sehun's hands and up his bare arms. It began to glow seconds later, a line of white light up his arm, and Sehun felt a strange buzz of magic in his veins. It was like his gifts were speaking to him all at the same time, happy and excited. Then the king moved his touch to Sehun's neck, moving his thumbs upward and over his cheeks.

 

"This is the Blessing of the Sky," the king explained, his voice filled with joy as it went out to the people. "It is the greatest honor one can receive here in Ilesseas. With it, I give you your ceremonial name."

 

He made a pause and Sehun still thrummed with magic. It was all his. It was part of him and it belonged to him. And he would earn this name as much as he had earned his gift. He would earn this position just like he was earning his right to live.

 

"The ceremonial name you have chosen is Nightingale,” the king announced. Sehun felt faint, but his magic danced with him, rejoicing in his belonging. "May you raise this kingdom up on your wings and bring prosperity to all."

 

The king finished, and the people remained silent for a while longer. Sehun closed his eyes tightly at the fear of rejection.

 

A voice rose above the silence.

 

“Long live Nightingale!”

 

Sehun’s eyes flew open into round saucers at the cry. That voice was familiar, and when he looked down at the people, it was easy to see where it had come from. There were people staring at a young woman who had her small daughter propped up on her shoulders.

 

“Long live Nightingale!” she cried again. That was the woman that had greeted him upon his arrival here. He couldn’t help but smile and feel the tears of joy bubble up in his eyes.

 

Her daughter joined the call next. “Long live Nightgale!”

 

“Long live Nightingale!” a call resounded from behind him. Sehun turned and was not at all surprised to hear Luhan's voice. Soon, the voices of his other friends joined the cheer.

 

It was not long before more people joined and the calls resounded through the courtyard. Before Sehun could count the second, too many people were shouting and cheering. It felt like the whole kingdom might have been shouting for his good health.

 

Sehun never in his life felt like he belonged in one place so much as he did right at that moment. Even the king had joined the call and the ensuing celebration. He smiled and made the call with the people, welcoming Sehun as one of their own.

 

“Long live Nightingale!”


	23. Epilogue

The days, weeks, and months following Sehun’s arrival were filled with way too many things to keep up with. Sehun attended a whole slew of lessons in the first few days. They were all trying to shove information into his head that he had a tough time remembering. Politics and finance were not Sehun's favorite subjects. Some lessons were easier to retain than others, such as table manners. He had already in part been introduced to them while under contract on the road. Other lessons Sehun found them so boring that he was unable to focus. Often times he forgot what he had learned as soon as his teachers allowed him to leave.

 

Some things remained the same, such as the terms of his contract. Luhan enforced it with an iron fist. He would allow Sehun to relax on a bed after his tasks were finished, but Sehun was never allowed to sleep on one. He still had no privacy, meaning anytime he need to go to the bathroom, he had to announce it and ask to be excused. 

 

Eating was another story. In the beginning, there had been resistance to the rule that Sehun ate last. He now ate with the king and some of the nobles. Typical etiquette indicated that the king ate first. Once he was eating, Sehun was supposed to be allowed to, then the nobles would follow. Servants only got to eat once they completed serving the royals. But Sehun ended up having to state every night when servants could eat. More often than not, Sehun’s food was going cold in front of him as the servants had their meal. Only when they had finished was Sehun allowed to eat. It always kept him humble.

 

Outside of the castle, Sehun knew that Chanyeol had been extremely busy. Sehun’s arrival and announcement as prince had prompted a visit from the crown prince of Eriand. Chanyeol had been both elated and burdened by his arrival. Sehun met Prince Yifan for a second time and caused the stoic prince to raise a brow. The last Prince Yifan had seen of him, he was a waterlogged rat with a shattered arm. Now he was slated to inherit a kingdom. It caused a tentative bond to form between them. Yifan became a friend and he offered guidance in handling high court life if Sehun ever needed it.

 

The arrival of Prince Yifan wasn't the only reason Chanyeol had been so busy, though. Chanyeol was also helping to take care of the departure and replacement of Zitao. As fate would have it, Zitao was the person Chanyeol and Yifan had been looking for the whole time. Zitao was the missing prince of Eriand. He hadn’t known it himself until he and Chanyeol had their moment at the shrine. Chanyeol's presence had brought forth images of his future. On Chanyeol's part, it was all about getting a good look at Zitao's face. He was startlingly like his mother, and Chanyeol picked up on that immediately.

 

After that, Chanyeol had disappeared for a long while. When he finally reappeared, there was something different about him. Along with the change, Baekhyun seemed to grow sad and almost inconsolable.

 

One night, Baekhyun approached Sehun, asking for permission to spend a night with him. Sehun declined for the first time and instead offered company, food, and a chance to talk. It wasn’t what Baekhyun wanted, but he stayed anyway. Sehun had him laughing and eating from a plate of rather expensive cheeses by the end of it anyway. It was an improvement for the both of them.

 

They became even closer when news spread that Chanyeol was courting Zitao. Luhan and Sehun also kept their personal affairs private while Baekhyun was coping. Sehun spent days distracting Baekhyun from it all and gently encouraging him to move on. But he could not blame Chanyeol for who he chose. Sehun had always been an advocate for choice and it wasn’t as if he had been ignoring or avoiding Baekhyun. He had simply taken his affections to someone else.

 

“He’s just doing it because every other noble is taken,” Baekhyun commented bitterly. But even he knew that wasn’t the truth. Their initial arguments and banter had all been playful and taken well on both sides. Sehun often wondered, though, if Zitao had made it easier by seeing what would happen in his mind’s eye.

 

“Baekhyun,” Sehun said, “you’ll find someone.” And with Baekhyun’s sneer, he dropped it. He should have known better, but he still wanted to keep the dying hope in his adopted brother’s heart alive.

 

Those nights, he confided in Luhan when they were alone about what he could do. Luhan didn’t have a lot of advice except to keep doing what he was doing and be there for Baekhyun. Sehun had made a promise to do what he could to be all the family Baekhyun needed. That meant he needed to do what he could to be there for his elder brother.

 

Four month after Sehun walked into the palace, there was discussion of his exams. At the moment, it was simple discussion and consideration, but it meant progress. Sehun had learned enough for them to bring up testing him for the position of king at long last. But he was still under contract and the advisors suggested he wait to take the throne until it expired. Sehun happened to agree.

 

Now, it was a common occurrence to see Sehun strung up by his feet and have his arches whipped with a cane. Butt beatings from his teachers had been tried early on in his lesson and hadn’t been as effective. Sehun continued to blow off his work outside of class. But that changed when Luhan brought back the foot beatings. The pain and then the chores that followed usually kept him in line.

 

The heavier beatings were usually reserved for days he left the palace when he had work to do. Once or twice, Baekhyun and Yixing rendered him bedridden the next day from the severity. These punishments were always well timed. If he didn’t have to do anything the next day, that was when they were the worst. The problem was, Sehun couldn't complain. It was always in accordance with the infraction he committed.

 

Today was such a day where he had endured punishment for skipping his lessons. When he returned to the palace, he was confronted by his friends as he lowered his hood. They strung up his feet and beat him before laying him down and feeding him a small dose of a common poison. This was common practice since he had started his training here. Even though it was never enough to kill him, Sehun always felt like he was knocking on death's door. An antidote was provided should anything go wrong, and the royal physician was nearby, but it hurt. He would have to endure. He needed to build a tolerance to these poisons. Most of the kingdom was happy for his arrival, but there were always the few who were never satisfied. He needed to have a natural defense to those few.

 

Chanyeol arrived and promised to watch over Sehun’s progress on this day. He sat down on the bed where Sehun lay, writhing in pain as the poison worked through his system. If he could tolerate it, this particular poison would last less than twelve hours. Sehun was usually begging for the antidote by seven hours.

 

The fire mage brushed Sehun’s hair back from his face and he could see the fever in his cheeks.

 

“How are you holding up?” he questioned, knowing Sehun had to be going through hell. Luhan was outside the door at this very moment, probably pacing with worry. Chanyeol had seen this before with Prince Yifan and he would have to watch again as Zitao went through it as well. Though not first in line, Zitao was the second heir. Should anything ever happen to Yifan, Zitao would be the next in line for the kingdom.

 

“I feel like I’m dying,” Sehun responded. It was his popular response when anyone asked him that question during these times.

 

“They gave you a more concentrated dose,” Chanyeol mumbled to him. “You must be doing well.”

 

“Fuck doing well,” Sehun cursed.

 

“Don’t make me get the soap,” Chanyeol said in a monotone voice.

 

“As long as you’re not taking my gift away, I don’t care,” Sehun breathed heavily. He rolled onto his side, trying to cope more easily with the pain. “Can I have the antidote, yet?”

 

“Not yet,” Chanyeol said to him. There was an hour glass spelled to the time Sehun had to endure at the very least unless something else went wrong. If the dose were incorrect and stronger than anticipated, there were signs to look out for. Bleeding from the mouth or nose was usually a very bad sign. The royal physician was in the room, but she seemed for the moment unconcerned. Though, it was obvious she was being vigilant and paying attention to Sehun’s present state. Unfortunately, Sehun wouldn't be getting out of this easily. None of the warning signs were showing and there was still quite a lot of sand left in the top half of the hourglass. “You’ve still got a way to go.”

 

Sehun let out a groan of both frustration and pain and closed his eyes to try to will it all to go away. Naturally, his magic started to act up and Chanyeol placed a hand on Sehun’s chest, pressing down firmly. It wasn't enough to add any more pain but enough to keep Sehun under control.

 

“I do have some good news for you, though,” Chanyeol said. “Zitao has had a few visions. Told me to tell you that you will be getting some visitors in the next few days that you will be ecstatic to see.”

 

“I don’t want anyone to see me like this,” Sehun gasped, all the air in his lungs leaving him for a moment.

 

“People have been seeing you like this for months, my Prince,” the physician in the corner of the room drawled. “What’s a few more?”

 

“If I want to see them,” Sehun snapped irritably, abruptly sitting up, “then I want to do shit with them! Not lay in a fucking bed.”

 

“I’m getting the soap,” Chanyeol sighed, standing from his seat next to Sehun’s bed. Sehun groaned and laid back on the bed again, out of breath once again. He was not pleased when a bar of orange scented soap was brought and shoved in his mouth. He liked the smell at least, but the taste was nasty. Sehun was pacified for the next five minutes except for the whining.

 

When Chanyeol removed the soap, Sehun closed his mouth and tried not to cry. He tried so hard to hold everything in, but it all wanted to come out. He threw an arm over his eyes then and tried to speak. “Just for a few minutes, can the two of you leave?” he requested.

 

“I don’t think that’s a smart idea, Your Highness,” the physician said.

 

“Three minutes,” Sehun tried again. “You can even do a full checkup on me with needles and everything if you must when it’s over. Just…” His voice broke. “…please.”

 

They hesitated, but the physician rose from her seat in the corner of the room and ushered Chanyeol out as well. Once the door closed behind them, Sehun let it go. The tears cascaded down his face and he could hear the quiet conversation outside. Luhan sounded worried. He always sounded worried when these sessions happened.

 

Three minutes was up a lot faster than Sehun wanted it to be. But when the door opened again, Luhan came into the room with him and held his hand. There was quiet conversation made for the next hour. Somewhere in there, Sehun managed to fall into a restless sleep because he was so exhausted. By the time he came to, the poison was beginning to wear off. He didn’t feel well, but he felt better.

 

“Your Highness,” the physician’s voice called to him. “Can you hear me?”

 

Sehun squinted at the light of the morning coming in through his window and tried to meet the eyes of the woman.

 

“Y-yes…” he answered weakly. His throat was dry and his voice was gravelly, but he was pretty convinced he was on the mend once more.

 

“Your dose is almost expired,” she told him with a sad smile. “You’ve done well. How do you feel?”

 

“Like shit,” he answered honestly, rubbing his face, trying to wake up.

 

“I’ll let that slide,” she said. “Besides, the Star Child is not awake to hear it.”

 

It was then that Sehun looked to his side and realized Luhan had held his hand all night. He was asleep with his head laying on the edge of the bed. Sehun rolled onto his side again so he could look at Luhan for a few moments. He should probably wake him. He didn’t want to worry him any further.

 

Reluctantly, he brushed a tired hand through Luhan’s hair, bringing him back to the realm of the living. “Lu…” he whispered, his tongue feeling heavy in his mouth. “Wake up.”

 

Luhan stirred and shifted on the bed, gripping Sehun’s hand a little tighter. When he opened his eyes, at first he didn’t seem to comprehend where he was and what he was doing. But when it finally came back to him, he bolted upright and looked down at Sehun, who tiredly smiled back at him.

 

“You’re awake,” Luhan breathed in relief.

 

“Unfortunately,” Sehun responded. “I feel like a herd of cattle ran me over.”

 

Luhan laughed and brushed Sehun’s hair down. “You look like it a little bit, too,” he teased. Then he leaned down so he could touch their foreheads. “You’ve done so well, Sunshine.”

 

“Again with the Sunshine?” Sehun whined.

 

“You like it,” Luhan teased. “Zitao likes it, too. He thinks Nightingale is a little too flamboyant for you.”

 

“My hair is a mess of rainbows,” Sehun said in a completely deadpan voice. “How am I not flamboyant enough?”

 

Luhan shrugged and kissed him. Then he allowed Sehun to go back to sleep for a few more hours, letting the poison finish running its course. By the time he woke up again, Luhan was gone and Chanyeol had returned. Sehun was able to drag himself into a sitting position this time.

 

“Feeling better, I see,” Chanyeol commented, placing a hand around Sehun’s back to help him stay seated.

 

“Not by much,” Sehun commented. His body still ached and he still felt too warm to be comfortable, but he did have more movement back. He also felt less likely to snap at everything anyone said.

 

“Sounds like you’re doing well over all,” Chanyeol commented. “They wouldn’t have done this to you otherwise.”

 

“I fell asleep,” Sehun grunted. “They would rather I sit through it. I’m not going to have a doctor with me forever.”

 

“No,” Chanyeol agreed. “But someday you’ll figure out how to sterilize your blood of the poison.”

 

“I’m not a fire mage, Chanyeol,” Sehun reminded him.

 

“You’re not,” Chanyeol agreed. “But you can call on the heat of the sun. You only have to master where that heat goes.”

 

“Baekhyun hasn’t exactly been of a mindset to teach me,” Sehun pointed out.

 

Chanyeol hesitated. He bit his lip and looked away. “He’s going to be upset again.”

 

“Why is that?” Sehun questioned. “I’ve been trying to piece him back together and he’s been doing better.”

 

“But he’s not over it,” Chanyeol sighed. “And I was hoping he would be by now.”

 

“He’s in love with you,” Sehun muttered. “Love isn’t so easy to cast aside. I tried.”

 

“I know,” Chanyeol responded. “I know that. But still, he’s going to be worse again when I tell him.”

 

“Tell him what?” Sehun asked.

 

Chanyeol smiled at him, unable to hide his happiness for the news. But there was that underlying sadness for Baekhyun’s feelings. “I’ve asked Zitao to marry me,” he told Sehun. “And he has agreed.”

 

“You two move fast,” Sehun said, eyes wide. But he leaned forward to give Chanyeol a hug. “Congratulations, Chanyeol. I wish you two all the happiness.”

 

Chanyeol accepted the hug with a happy smile and hugged Sehun back. But Sehun now understood why Baekhyun would be upset. He didn’t know how he was going to combat this when it reached Baekhyun’s ears. Chanyeol cleared his throat to break the tension that was building between them. He released Sehun from the hug and tried to change the subject.

 

“When are you going to ask Luhan?” Chanyeol questioned, a mischievous smile on his face.

 

Sehun flushed and looked away. He had thought about this, too, but he hadn’t decided if now was a good or bad time. He had been leaning towards bad. Timing wasn’t right. He might wait until after his contract was up. He only had a few months left on it and his deadline for the sleeping curse was creeping up in less than two moons. No time to plan a wedding in there. And that was assuming Luhan said yes.

 

“You nervous?” Chanyeol teased.

 

“A little,” Sehun answered. “But I’m more concerned about the timing.”

 

“I’m sure Luhan won’t care,” Chanyeol said with a chuckle. “That boy has been in love with you for as long as I've known him.”

 

“I know,” Sehun hummed, smiling to himself. Luhan’s feelings were difficult to hide. Sehun often caught him expressing those feelings in small ways. Sometimes he would sleep on the floor with Sehun or downgrade a punishment. Even rarer was when he would take a few documents Sehun needed to look over and give him notes on what they said. “But I think I’ll wait until the contract is up.”

 

“Don’t be so afraid,” Chanyeol urged.

 

“I’m not,” Sehun said. “I’m trying to be smart.” Chanyeol snorted. “Will you and Zitao hold your wedding in Eriand?”

 

“Of course,” Chanyeol hummed. “I spoke with Yifan before asking Zitao and he assured me that it would be a grand affair in the royal ballroom. Zitao is a little nervous about even being a prince at all. He doesn’t feel like he deserves all of the pomp and circumstance.”

 

“Do you think you deserve it?” Sehun questioned.

 

“We’re both pretty humble people under normal circumstances,” Chanyeol said. “I so happened to have an important friend and I fell in love with his brother. We’ll do it because I’m sure the royal family wants to celebrate anything they can. They missed so many things in Zitao’s childhood.”

 

Sehun nodded. He was about to add something, but then the door to his private room was kicked open. Sehun's head snapped in the direction of the intruder and a face he hadn’t seen in so long appeared before him. Sehun smiled, some of the weariness draining from him for a few moments. But then a stack of letters smacked him on the head repeatedly.

 

“Hey, hey, hey!” Sehun whined, trying to defend himself with his arms. “Kyungsoo, stop it!”

 

“You are an idiot, Sehun!” Kyungsoo shrieked. He stopped his assault with the papers, but he ended up throwing them at him instead. “Everyone else sends me letters, but you never manage to write a single line! They all tell me about this ridiculous contract and how you torture yourself with it. Now I hear you are to be king and you are building a tolerance to poisons and you still haven’t sent me a fucking letter!” He spun around, looking at Chanyeol. “Can your contract give him a punishment for that?” he questioned. “Because I’ll take care of it myself!”

 

“I suppose we could call it rude,” Chanyeol said with a laugh. “You did save the use of his arm, right? He should be more grateful.”

 

“No!” Sehun cries. “No! I’m grateful! I’ve been busy is all! I don’t get full nights of sleep anymore because I’m so busy! I should have sent a letter, I’m sorry!”

 

Kyungsoo’s anger was for the moment dispelled by Sehun’s eagerness to apologize. That was a dramatic change from when they had been living together in Kyungsoo’s hut. He looked to Chanyeol then and said, “I see why you did it.”

 

Chanyeol shook his head. “This is a side effect,” he told Kyungsoo. “We did it because he was contemplating suicide from the guilt.”

 

Kyungsoo’s anger returned with a vengeance and he went back to scolding Sehun. “ _Suicide_?” he growled. “Sehun-“

 

“I haven’t thought about it in a long time!” Sehun defended, shielding himself again with his arms. He didn't want to be defenseless if Kyungsoo found something else to hit him with. “Promise!”

 

“You better not have!” Kyungsoo shrieked. “I exhausted myself day in and day out to save your sorry ass. If you waste my efforts, I’ll curse your spirit. Don’t think I won’t!”

 

“He’s already cursed,” Chanyeol sighed. That got Kyungsoo’s attention. Then he sniffed the air and made a face.

 

“Oh yeah, I can smell it,” he said, waving away a smell that he seemed to just now register. “What kind is it?”

 

“Sleeping curse,” Sehun grunted. “Due to activate in two moons unless I become king or bring the Moon Witch an article of clothing from… his sister.”

 

“Luhan sent me a letter all about that turn of events,” Kyungsoo said. “Said he knew who your friend was a good portion of the time and didn’t tell you.”

 

“Not to mention it didn’t seem like Jongin wanted to be found,” Chanyeol said. “He gave Sehun a false name.”

 

“Kai,” Sehun supplied. Kyungsoo slapped him on the back of the head again. “Will you stop hitting me?” Sehun whined, rubbing the back of his head.

 

“Maybe when you get smarter!” Kyungsoo shouted. “You should have known immediately that it was a false name. The people of the mountains have a goddess named Kaileh. He adopted her name to evade you.”

 

“I was raised near a forest with people that didn’t want to believe magic existed,” Sehun gritted out. “Many of them believed gods and goddesses to be magical as well and turned their nose up at them.”

 

“No excuse to not be educated,” Kyungsoo huffed.

 

“Children, that’s enough.” Sehun was never happier to hear Luhan’s scolding tone than he was at that moment. His Star Child walked through the doors and approached him with a soft expression. "It's good to see you, Kyungsoo."

 

“I’m so glad to see you,” Sehun piped up. But Luhan held up a hand to stop him.

 

“I’m here to get you for your daily training since you are well on your way to recovery,” he said to Sehun. “Kyungsoo can help you with this one if you wish to speak with him more.”

 

“It’s plants, isn’t it?” Sehun grumbled. “I like flowers. I hate everything else.”

 

“Well you need to learn it all,” Luhan said with a smirk. “If you have to travel on your own, you need to be able to identify poison ivy. Be a good boy and maybe I’ll let you sneak out of the palace in a month.”

 

“A month?” Sehun whined, dropping back into the sheets.

 

He ended up going to his lessons that day, but it was only a couple weeks before Sehun was sneaking out again. Zitao and Chanyeol hadn’t left for Eriand yet. They were still trying to train Zitao’s young replacement. It was the boy from Rioda and he was very glad to see Sehun again. Kyungsoo had gone back to his home only days after arriving. He didn’t like it so high up in the air. It was too far away from his element and it made him nervous.

 

When Sehun snuck out, he broke another rule and wore a cloak out. It wasn’t for comfort though. It was for keeping himself hidden from the eyes of the people. If he had a hood, he could hide the colors in his hair. If he could avoid it, he wouldn’t have worn it at all. But the faster people recognized him, the quicker someone came to get him.

 

Zitao always had something to say about it even though he appreciated the visits.

 

“You know, one of these days Chanyeol is going to come in and find you here," Zitao said on this visit. "He’s not going to be pleased,”

 

“Luhan is going to be even more displeased when I return,” Sehun huffed.

 

“Then why do you do it?” Zitao asked. “You know you’re going to be punished.”

 

“Because I can’t breathe in that place,” Sehun answered. “That’s part of why I didn’t want to be king. I’m stuck in there. I don’t get many chances to leave and when I do leave it’s often for some kind of work. I need a break every now and then.”

 

“Sehun,” Zitao said softly, a hand on Sehun’s shoulder. “The current king is dying. You know this. He’s very old and they’re trying to make sure you have all the knowledge you need to take over. After that, I promise, everything will slow down and you’ll have more freedom.”

 

“And I know that,” Sehun replied. “But I can’t wait until then. Aside from my friends, I don’t have anyone in that castle and no one is taking classes with me. I feel isolated for most of the day. I want a bit of fresh air and even an hour with them.”

 

“Have you told anyone else this?”

 

Sehun fell silent. This wasn’t something he talked about with Luhan even though he knew he should. He didn’t talk to Baekhyun about it either because he knew Baekhyun had his own problems at the moment. Maybe he could talk to Yixing about it. He might draw some kind of comparison between his life now and his life back in Nimrine to make this one seem not so bad. Chanyeol was too busy. Technically, Zitao should be too busy for this, but he made time for Sehun.

 

“No,” he finally answered.

 

“You should,” Zitao finally said, echoing Sehun’s own thoughts. “You might feel better if you talk about it.”

 

“I already have no privacy,” Sehun said softly. “Some things I find hard to let go of because they’re my private thoughts and some of my own privacy that I have left.”

 

“But you’re hurting yourself,” Zitao told him. “And you’re making yourself depressed. You’ve been eating, right? And bathing regularly?”

 

“I can get away with a few things,” Sehun grumbled. “But I would never get away without a bath for more than a day in that place. The attendants are very… attentive.”

 

That made Zitao laugh and he wrapped his arm around Sehun’s shoulder as some manner of comfort. “Let me give you something you’ll enjoy.”

 

“What?” Sehun asked, looking at him skeptically.

 

“A vision,” Zitao clarified with a smile.

 

Sehun rolled his eyes at this. Zitao had given him a handful of visions to mull over since they had first met. Most of them were useless information. Some were small detail about an event Sehun already knew was coming.

 

“You’ll like these,” Zitao promised with a laugh.

 

“Why did you use the plural?” Sehun asked.

 

“Because I have two!”

 

“Get on with it, then,” Sehun snapped. Zitao frowned.

 

“You’re rude,” he whined. That naturally made Sehun nervous to hear. Zitao wasn’t the kind of person to rat Sehun out to any of his contract holders, but the reaction was ingrained in him. Zitao seemed to notice and changed the subject. “Anyway, the first vision is something that will put your mind at ease.”

 

Sehun looked back at Zitao then, interested.

 

Zitao leaned forward and smiled. “I saw you at an altar, holding his hand.”

 

It took only seconds for Sehun to comprehend what exactly Zitao was talking about. He smiled brightly at that bit of information and it did put his mind at ease. He should have known better than to doubt. But he still wasn’t sure now was a good idea.

 

“See, I told you,” Zitao said with a cocky smile. “The next one I’ll keep vague. But I promise you’ll be very happy this evening. Someone is going to come visit you. I’ll bring him to you tonight when your punishment is over.”

 

“Please don’t,” Sehun whined. “I hate when people see me limping around. Especially my friends.”

 

“Nope,” Zitao said, insisting. “I’m bringing him to you tonight. You’ll love it. Trust me.” Then he went still and his eyes glazed over. He stopped talking and for a few moments he seemed to be seeing something that Sehun wasn’t able to. When he finally snapped out of it, it was with a few blinks and he finally looked at Sehun again.

 

“Another vision?” he asked.

 

Zitao nodded and bit his lip. “Did you have something else you were going to do while out here?” he asked.

 

“I was going to check the markets,” Sehun answered. ‘But there was nothing specific I was looking for. Why?”

 

“Luhan is looking for you,” Zitao told him glumly. “You should skip the markets and go back before he clubs you to death.”

 

Sehun laughed a little and still managed to look worried. He stood from his seat and nodded. “I’ll go home then,” he said with a slight bow. “It was still nice to talk to you, Zitao.”

 

“It was nice to talk to you, Sehun,” he said with a smile. “But please, next time come with permission. Or send me a letter and I’ll come visit you myself.”

 

Sehun didn’t promise, but he smiled again and waved goodbye before leaving the shrine. Instead of completely heeding the words of the Seer, Sehun went to the market. He hung out for a while in the jewelry sections before he went back.

 

That was another problem with his proposal. He didn’t have money to buy a gift for Luhan. Sure, he received money from the kingdom, but Luhan maintained control of his finances. That would remain the same until his contract expired. He could ask any of the others for the money, but that would be kind of embarrassing. He also didn’t want them revealing his secret to Luhan on purpose or by mistake. It was another reason to keep him from asking until his contract was up.

 

Sighing, he made his way back to the castle. He lowered his hood as he approached the gate and his signature rainbow hair notified the guards to let him in. Upon walking through the front gate, he was greeted with a very angry looking Luhan. His arms were crossed, his foot was tapping expectantly, and his mouth was set into a deep frown.

 

“What do you have to say for yourself this time?” Luhan demanded. “What am I going to do with you? Why won’t you go to your lessons and do as you’re told?”

 

Sehun didn’t answer, but Luhan wasn’t having any of that.

 

“Answer me, Sehun,” Luhan ordered. “You know what’s coming. So why do it? Are you growing less fearful of the lashings again? Do we need to resort to the other methods after all?”

 

“No!” Sehun shouted, looking up at Luhan, horrified. But Luhan looked serious and Sehun hated when he looked at him like that. He thought about the conversation he had with Zitao and wondered if now was the time to tell Luhan how he felt. But when he tried to open his mouth, it wouldn’t open and his lips trembled. Before he knew it, his vision was blurring, he was staring at his bare feet, and quiet sobs racked his body.

 

“Sehun, what’s wrong?” Luhan asked, voice much softer than it had been a moment ago. “Talk to me.”

 

“I can’t,” Sehun whispered, so soft and broken that Luhan almost didn’t hear him.

 

“Yes, you can,” Luhan assured him. Then he took Sehun’s hand and led him away to somewhere more private. He walked Sehun through a series of hallways and up several stairways. He didn’t stop until Luhan was pushing the doors open to a balcony and Sehun wondered why he was there. Luhan didn’t explain. He placed Sehun down in a sitting position on the ground while he closed the door.

 

Sehun maintained a polite sitting position even though he was shaking with sobs. He was trying to keep his crying quiet, but it was hard. Luhan sat down in front of him, a cushion under his legs, and reached out to touch Sehun’s hand.

 

“I’ve known for a while that something wasn’t right with you,” Luhan admitted. “But I was hoping you would work through it yourself or bring it to me when you were ready. I know I can appear pretty selfish. I brought you to the castle to give myself a life I never got to have. I put you through these classes because you agreed to them for my sake. But Sehun, you know how much I love you. You know I hate punishing you and I hate seeing you like this. So why won’t you talk to me about it?”

 

“Because I don’t want to disappoint you,” Sehun finally managed. Another tear streaming down his face.

 

“Disappoint me?” Luhan repeated. “Sehun, I’m only disappointed when you run away.”

 

“I’m not trying to run away!” Sehun shouted. But he realized his mistake and covered his mouth with a hand as if that would take back the volume.

 

Luhan’s hands came to pull Sehun’s from his mouth. “Talk to me,” he said once more. He met Sehun’s eyes and asked, “If you’re not running away, then what are you doing when you leave the castle?”

 

Sehun hesitated, but Luhan looked earnest about understanding. It gave Sehun a little more courage. “I’m getting fresh air,” he said. “I talk with Zitao, I visit the markets, I just… find ways I don’t feel so alone.”

 

“You feel alone in the castle?” Luhan asked.

 

Sehun nodded. “I’m in classes by myself,” he continued. “I eat alone. You guys are there, but the castle is so huge I don’t always know where to find you. When meeting the nobles, I feel small and the king is always resting. But the people seem to enjoy when I visit them. The ones that recognize me right away always pull me into conversations. They tell me about what’s going on in their homes and about their families. Sometimes they will give me small things to take home like fruits or flowers. Other times it’s advice on how to…” He cut himself off and an embarrassed smile managed to cross his face. It was an interesting contrast to the tear stains on his cheeks. “Almost gave away the surprise,” he said by way of lightening the mood.

 

Luhan’s lips quirked in amusement and he reached out a hand to wrap it around the back of Sehun’s neck. He sighed and brought Sehun’s head forward to touch their foreheads. “So, what you’re telling me is that you can’t breathe.”

 

“It’s more than that, Lu,” Sehun told him. “I’m suffocating, drowning, and I need to get out sometimes to keep that feeling at bay. I could feel from the moment I stepped foot on these lands that I belonged here. I felt it even more when I stepped into the court of the king the first time. I’m not going to run away and never come back to it, but I can’t sit and have the king’s court be my only backdrop, either. I have to go somewhere else even for a little bit. Then I can return to work at my best.”

 

Luhan’s fingers tangled in the hair at the back of Sehun’s neck and he nodded in understanding. “I’m glad you told me,” he said, voice soft and calm. “I only wish you had told me sooner.”

 

Sehun blinked, a little unsure of what exactly that meant. But then Luhan was kissing him and somehow, it felt like a promise to do better. Sehun kissed him back and felt a sense of relief. When he pulled back, Luhan looked at him and there was a plan forming in his eyes.

 

“I’ll talk to everyone,” he said first. “But I’m sure we can make some kind of arrangement. For now, in light of what you have told me, I’m going to downgrade the punishment I was going to give you. As far as you are concerned, we’ve been punishing you for months without you doing anything wrong, am I right?”

 

Sehun hesitated, but he looked down and gave a tiny nod. The constant push did feel like a punishment.

 

“As I figured,” Luhan sighed. “I was going to punish you with the cuff, Instead, I’m giving you fifty foot lashings. You kept secrets, you left the castle without permission, and you disrespected your teachers’ time. Please ask next time and send your teachers a formal apology by tonight.”

 

Sehun nodded and kept his eyes on the floor. Then Luhan took his hand again and they both rose to his feet.

 

“Now come with me,” he said sounding less angry than before. “I can’t do anything about the remaining schedule today, but I promise tomorrow will be different. So stick with today and do as you’re told.”

 

Sehun nodded and was at least grateful for the walk to his tutoring room.

 

\----

 

That night, Sehun sat down for dinner and as usual stared down at his plate, waiting. When everyone else finished, he was finally allowed to eat and drink. He was expected to engage in conversation, though. It meant his meal was interrupted on multiple occasions over the course of a few minutes. Sehun didn’t mind.

 

He had written formal letters to his teachers and gave them to them by hand shortly before dinner. They all appreciated the apology and his history teacher told him that Luhan had spoken with him. Sehun blinked in surprise, not realizing Luhan would move so fast on the subject. But he smiled and nodded to everything that his teacher had said. He assumed Luhan had spoken with his other teachers as well.

 

Sehun dreaded punishment as he always did, but he did not fight when his friends took him away for it. Servants tied his feet up to a thick pole of wood and lifted it for Luhan and the others, exposing the arches of his feet. Sehun placed his hands under himself as he had always done and closed his eyes before the first strike. It landed with a snap and he jerked, biting his tongue to keep any noise down.

 

By the time the fiftieth strike was laid on his feet, he was crying again. He had been screaming for the past ten or twenty strikes to stop. A few of the staff had assembled around him, but they quickly dispersed when his feet were untied. They servants scattered as well when they finished their task.

 

Sehun would have been content to lay on the ground and stay there for a while, but it was never that easy. Baekhyun and Chanyeol took him by the arms and raised him into a standing position. Sehun’s knees nearly gave out from the pain, but his friends supported him. They let go when he was capable of standing on his own again.

 

Luhan was looking at him with a different expression than he usual and Sehun didn’t know why. However, he didn’t feel as harshly judged as he usually did. It was as if Luhan suddenly understood something more about Sehun. Still, there was one more thing to finish up.

 

“What do you say?” Luhan asked.

 

Sehun looked at him, eyes still glassy. “I’m sorry…”

 

“That’s better,” Luhan said. Then he leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to Sehun’s cheek. Sehun would have enjoyed it if he hadn’t been grabbed again and dragged away.

 

“You have somewhere to be,” Yixing said, pulling him along. Luhan giggled and followed after the two. Chanyeol and Baekhyun followed as well, though they didn’t appear to know what was going on.

 

“But I’m done with all my lessons,” Sehun rasped out, wiping his eyes of the leftover tears.

 

“Yes,” Luhan said. “But Zitao showed up a little earlier and said he had someone for you to see.”

 

Sehun had forgotten that Zitao had told him about this already. He stumbled along in dread, every step a struggle on his aching feet. He would never live down this limp in front of someone else that he cared about. Maybe it was Jongdae, coming to visit. He wouldn’t have heard of his contract yet. That really would be embarrassing. In front of a royal guard, he would appear weak.

 

But instead of guest rooms, they took Sehun to the doors of the king’s court. Sehun raised his brow in confusion, because he knew that court was not in session. No one should have a reason to be there.

 

Zitao pushed the door open and came out of the room with a bright smile on his face. ‘Finally!” he said with a breath of relief.

 

“What are you doing here?” Chanyeol asked, going to Zitao’s side. Sehun didn’t miss the wince from Baekhyun.

 

“I brought someone to see Sehun, of course,” Zitao said, smacking Chanyeol on the arm. Then he turned to Sehun and smiled even brighter than before. “I wanted to give you two some privacy for a change. So, I arranged to have you two meet in this room.”

 

“The court?” Sehun questioned dumbly.

 

“Yes!” Zitao cheered. “No one is in there except for him. So don’t be shy.”

 

Sehun hesitated, but Yixing grew tired of it and shoved Sehun toward the door. “Just go in.”

 

When he still didn’t budge, Luhan opened the door himself and Baekhyun shoved Sehun in from behind. “In!”

 

Sehun stumbled into the room and almost collapsed under the pain of his feet. But he caught himself and tried to straighten up. He even straightened his robes to look like he hadn't just suffered a beating. However, it only took one look up at the only other person in the room for him to forget all that.

 

He lost his breath for a moment and he didn’t know if he was dreaming or not. The pain evaporated as if it didn’t matter anymore. Sehun sprinted forward as the man got over his own apparent shock.

 

“Sehun!” his father cried. Sehun threw himself into those arms, aching with familiarity. He was already crying tears of joy and relief before they even reached each other. He couldn’t believe it. His father was here. His father had found him. He was still alive.

 

“I missed you,” Sehun sobbed. “I thought you were dead…”

 

“I am not, boy,” his father whispered, voice choked with tears of his own. When he pulled back, he held Sehun at arm’s length and gave him a look. “You’ve changed. Gotten taller. And skinnier. Do they feed you in this palace?”

 

Sehun laughed and nodded, unable to make the words come.

 

“And your hair…” his father said, picking up locks of Sehun’s hair. Sehun realized he looked sad. But Sehun didn’t want to disappoint him, so he tried to grab a hold of the threads of his magic. He had been practicing this, but it still was not easy to manage. He called everything into a calm and his father gasped. “There it is,” he breathed. “Starlight. Just like your mother.”

 

Sehun smiled brightly and let the magic go, allowing the color to return. The rainbow was easiest to maintain. His magic would never be completely tamed, and he was learning to accept that. Instead, he thought of it as a friend, and when it needed to be tamed, it allowed him to for short periods of time.

 

He went back to his father’s embrace then, hugging him tightly as if he would never let go. He rested his head on that shoulder that he grew up sleeping on. He closed his eyes and breathed for what felt like the first time since leaving his old home. Everything was not right with the world and he had many things to explain to his father. He still needed to go back to the Moon Witch and there was much to learn. But there was something different about him now that he had this one bit of normalcy returned to him.

 

He was at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus concludes Flight of a Nightingale!
> 
> This has been my baby since November and I am so glad I finished it. I appreciate everyone who stuck with me through this process from start to finish and I hope you liked watching Sehun grow as much as I did. I know there were some pretty awful topics in this story, but you handled them with me and I can't thank you enough.
> 
> I hope you liked this story and I hope you are satisfied with the ending. But I'm sure some of you are going, "Wait! What about his curse? What about his promise to Taeyeon? Technically, he never did what she asked him to. And what is going on with Zitao now that everyone knows who he is? What about the rebellion that was mentioned in Nimrine? WHAT ABOUT SEHUN'S CORONATION?!"
> 
> Well... let's say I have plans, but they will not be acted on for a long time. ;)
> 
> Drop a comment and tell me what you thought! And, once again, thank you for all the support.
> 
> -olebade


End file.
